


A new life

by Lina12many



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: I swear this story isn't all negative things, Kidnapping, M/M, More stuff but I suck at tags, Past Child Abuse, Slavery, Torture, noncon, smut later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2018-10-30 13:32:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10877808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lina12many/pseuds/Lina12many
Summary: Harry Potter always wanted to leave the Dursleys. But getting kidnapped and sold to a young Tom Riddle wasn't exactly the plan.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone. I honestly have very little idea where this fit is headed so the tags may change but I hope you all enjoy it!

Six year old Harry Potter sat alone in Mays park three blocks away from number 4 Privet Drive. Number 4 was home to the Dursley family and their nephew, but Harry never thought of the suburban house as his ‘home’. Privet drive was more of a torture cell for the small boy. Every day he was given a list of chores as long as his skinny arm and when he, inevitably, was unable to complete them he was punished. If he was lucky it would only be him being sent to his cupboard with no dinner. If he wasn’t, or if his Uncle Vernon had an unpleasant day at work, he would find himself in the cupboard later sobbing from the belt marks on his back. Even as he sat on the swing his back twinged with every movement. His left arm was pained and swollen from where his uncle had thrown him against the banister the night previous.

The park was empty and silent except for the slight creak of the swing set. Mays park had been basically abandoned after the new playground was installed at the elementary school. Almost no kids came to visit the small, rundown plot of land making it the best place to avoid his cousin Dudley and his gang. Harry dragged his feet back and forth under the swing, not daring to go any higher on the off chance Dudley did appear.

Outside the park there was a loud crack, causing Harry to look up startled. He stood and walked as quietly as possible toward the gated park entrance. He peeked around the corner, hoping it wasn’t Dudley or Piers beating some other kid up. Instead, two tall, hooded figures stood on the sidewalk, talking in soft voices so Harry couldn’t make them out. Harry watched them silently until one glanced over, making eye contact with the small boy. Dark eyes locked with large green ones, causing Harry to freeze. The figure gestured at Harry causing the second figure to turn. Every part of Harry screamed to run but his legs seemed to turn to stone beneath him. He shook slightly as the people stopped a few feet away. One of them crouched down so they were eye level with Harry. “Hello,” they said, pulling their hood back to reveal a woman with long dark hair.

Harry remained silent. Even if he had remembered his teacher’s lecture on not to talk to strangers, his jaw was clenched too tightly to speak. The woman seemed to understand this and smiled. “Don’t worry,” she said, “I’m not going to hurt you. Are you by yourself?”

Slowly Harry nodded, still silent. The lady nodded in return and looked around the empty park. “Where are your parents?” She asked.

Harry shook his head forcefully. “They died,” he said softly, gripping the bars of the park gate tightly.

The woman’s smile seemed to get wider. “That’s too bad,” she said, her words not matching her expression. Her eyes looked Harry up and down, lingering on his injured arm. “Who do you live with then?”

“My aunt and uncle,” he spoke no louder than before. He took a small step away from the lady and the still cloaked person. 

“Perfect,” the lady’s voice came out more as a growl than words. She lifted what appeared to be a polished stick at Harry and whispered something. His eyes widened as a red bolt shot him in the chest and the world went dark.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to update. I got sick for a while and then I had family come to visit so I barely had any time to work. Hopefully the next chapter will be up much sooner. Thanks to everyone who left kudos and comments!

Tom Riddle had been to the Blue Moon Theatre before, both for the many plays the theatre performed as well as several auctions for various charities, but he’d never been to an auction like the one he found himself at now. He sat in the Riddle family box, overlooking the milling crowd below with a slightly bored expression. He recognized the majority of the people in the crowd as either those related to pureblood families or the up and coming wealthier merchants. Any heads of families attending sat in the various boxes around the second floor of the theater or mingled with other heads and their heirs. 

The Malfoys had joined Tom and his father in the Riddle family box. Abraxas was seated next to Tom, talking animatedly about Quidditch while Tom surveyed the crowd below, only half paying attention to his housemate. Their fathers sat on the other side of Abraxas, discussing business in hushed tones that Tom had given up on trying to overhear. “So what do you think we are doing here?” Abraxas asked, catching Tom’s full attention again, “My father wouldn’t tell me. He wanted it to be a surprise. Though Dorea said that it has something to do with dark objects.”

Traditionally children of pure blood families were first brought to these black market auctions after their thirteenth birthdays. Four were held every year around the turn of the seasons but the spring auction had happened while both boys were still at Hogwarts. Thus the summer auction was their first time attending. In lieu of a thirteenth birthday present, Tom’s father had agreed to buy him one item.

Tom nodded at Abraxas. “The first part of the auction is of dark objects and other things the ministry has declared unlawful. The second part however, even I do not know.” Tom didn't like not knowing things.

Abraxas looked slightly crestfallen. “I was hoping you would.” He perked back up again. “Though I suppose we’ll find out soon enough.”

Tom nodded again and looked back to the stage. An announcer stepped forward and called for everyone to take their seats as the auction would begin shortly. The room quieted as everyone settled into their seats and the lights dimmed. The thick red curtains that hid the stage were drawn back revealing a man at a podium and a table with several items on it. “Hello and welcome,” the man said with a smile, “I hope you all have been having a wonderful year so far. We would like to start off with a truly exceptional item tonight.” 

As he was speaking two people dressed in uniforms filed onto the stage and stood to the right of the table. The auctioneer gestured and one of them stepped forward holding a small box. Tom took out a pair of opera glasses and used them to look closer. The box was made of a dark wood and the top was inlaid with the image of a woman surrounded by several figures that weren’t human. She appeared to be crouched and screaming with terror. “Pandora’s box.” The auctioneer explained as the man presented the box to the room, “Said to hold a curse worse than death for anyone but the owner who dares to open it. We will start the bidding at 2000 galleons.”

Paddles flew up around the crowd and the price of the box increased higher and higher. Finally it was sold to a merchant Tom didn’t recognize for 7250 galleons. The auction continued much as a normal one would, only with items that were darker in nature. Tom found the whole event exceptionally disappointing but Abraxas watched the auction with shining eyes. The only items that interested Tom were a pair of vanishing cabinets and an sphere called the Orb of Opelecs, which allowed the user to summon, but not control, a demon. The Malfoy’s bid on and won a stack of books so old it seemed they would crumble before anyone would be able to read them.

Eventually the first part of the auction came to an end. “We will have a 15 minute intermission before we continue.” The auctioneer announced and the curtains drew closed once again.

Several people in the audience gathered their belongings and made their way to leave. Abraxas was almost vibrating with excitement next to Tom. “Calm down,” the brunette said, noting which families were staying. Nearly all of the purebloods remained but many of the merchants had left already.

Abraxas nodded and took a deep breath, but Tom could tell it didn't make much of a difference. He pursed his lips slightly as his father took the empty seat to his right. “I see nothing has caught your attention.” The older man observed.

Tom scoffed inwardly. His father already knew that none of the objects would have interested him. “These are hardly worth being here. I assume something better is occurring during the second half.”

His father’s lips twitched into a slight smirk but he didn’t reply, instead turning towards the stage. The auctioneer had returned, this time standing in front of the still closed curtains. “To those of you who have remained, welcome to the second half of our auction. For those who have never attended before, be warned. If you wish to leave at any point you may after one of our staff has seen to you.” Meaning after they obliviated the night’s events from your memory.

The auctioneer bowed and stepped off the stage. A few people who had remained sitting so far during the intermission stood and left. By now over half of the audience had vacated the theatre, Tom stayed seated of course but he gripped the arm of his chair in anticipation. It was a few more minutes before the audience quieted and curtains were drawn open again. The auctioneer stood behind the podium once again but the table beside him had been replaced with...people. 

There were six simple, wooden chairs containing people clearly under the imperius curse. The two men who had been presenting the dark objects were gone and replaced by two hooded figure who Tom assumed were controlling the people. Each imperiod person was wearing a simple outfit with a dark grey collar around their neck. None of them seemed younger than 20. The auctioneer motioned to the hooded figure who caused the first man to stand. “Our first product is male, 25 years of age. He possesses higher than average physical strength and average magical power with grey orientation. We will begin the bidding at 30,000 galleons.”

Tom’s eyes lit up with interest but as his eyes drifted down the line none of the people grabbed his interest. He sat back in his seat, slightly disappointed. His father seemed to notice this and leaned over. “The younger ones come later,” he whispered discreetly.

Tom sat back up at this, barely keeping the hungry grin off of his face. He could work with a younger child. Train them to be completely loyal to him. The auction continued as the adults were sold one by one. Tom noticed that the names of the people were never said, only their age, physical and magical attributes, magical orientation, and any other exceptional skills. After the adults came a group of teenagers, ranging between eleven and twenty. There were less of these than adults though Tom supposed it was due to most magical children being in school. It was a bit odd to see children his own age being sold on the black market but Tom dismissed the feeling. Even among the teenagers no one jumped out at Tom as special and the second group passed with little interest to the young boy.

The true children came last. There were eight of them, none older than ten, and all with the same half dazed look as the previous groups. Tom scanned the line as the children were brought out...and froze. That one. The second to last was a boy, Tom would guess him to be around 4 or 5, but what attracted Tom wasn’t the slight frame or mess of black hair. It was the bright green eyes, the same color as the killing curse. Something in those eyes called to Tom and he nudged his father lightly. “That one,” he whispered once his father leaned down, “The second to last.”

His father nodded and straightened. Tom sat on the edge of his seat in anticipation as the others were sold, each bringing him one step closer to his soon to be possession. After what seemed to be an eternity, the auctioneer finally arrived at the black haired boy. “This product is male. 6 years old.” He was older than Tom had guessed, the boy’s small stature misleading. “With exquisite eyes. He already possesses considerable power for a child his age. Orientation is grey with a dark leaning. The bidding starts at 35,000 galleons.”

And they were off. Paddles flew up around the theatre, the Riddle families staying down until at least half of the contenders had quit. Once the bidding reached 50,000 Tom’s father raised his paddle. Instantly nearly all of the remaining bidders stopped, leaving only a few of the more ignorant bidders in the competition. Tom leaned slightly over the railing to see the remaining contestors. Within three more exchanges all but one had lowered their paddles permanently. Tom stared at the remaining man, willing him to look up. Eventually he did, evidently wondering who else was bidding on the six year old. 

When his face turned to meet Tom’s a wave of disgust passed through him. The man was horrible to look at, overweight and ugly being two of the nicer adjectives to describe him. He had small, watery eyes that were sunk deep into his face, surrounded by flabs of fat. A bit of spittle flecked off of his lips and lingered on a sparse beard. It was obvious exactly what the man had planned if he acquired the young boy on stage and anger boiled inside Tom at the mere thought. When the man finally met Tom’s gaze he channeled his anger into a piercing glare. Whether it was the glare or the Riddle family name that caused the man to freeze and blanch Tom didn't care. All that mattered was that the man slowly lowered his paddle and looked away.

Tom sat back satisfied as his father easily won the bidding, hardly able to wait to collect his new possession.

Once the bidding concluded the Riddles and the Malfoys made their way backstage to their newly acquired objects. The adults discussed something with the staff while Tom and Abraxas looked over the boy. He was sitting in a line with the other children and the two boys merely stared at him for a moment. “He’s beautiful,” Abraxas said softly.

Tom merely nodded. The child was indeed quite pretty, with high thin cheekbones and smooth soft skin. The eyes that had attracted Tom were half closed and shaded by long dark lashes. The boy was very thin though, almost unhealthily so, which concerned Tom slightly. Tom reached out slowly to brush the the child's hair back to examine his face, but the instant his fingers brushed the boy’s skin something seized his hand. Tom panicked momentarily and tried to jerk back, but whatever grabbed his hand was unrelenting. “What’s wrong?” Abraxus asked, noticeably worried.

Tom remained silent, instead concentrating on the strange grip. It was the boy’s magic, reaching out as a gold tendril despite the imperious curse. Tom exhaled but didn’t relax. Considerable magic power indeed. Tom’s brow furrowed as he reached out with his own magic to pry the boy from his hand. Whatever he was expecting when he touched the gold with his own green it was not the reaction he got. Tom’s magic sang when it came into contact with the boy’s. A single tone of pure harmony reverberated through his entire body and Tom sat in shock for a moment before finally collecting himself enough to pull back from the boy’s magic. The golden tendril retreated as well, leaving the boy as the same shell he was previously.

Tom stepped back, Abraxas following him. “Tom what happened?” His school mate asked.

Tom looked at his own hand and back at the boy. “It seems I have acquired something rather interesting,” he said.

Rather interesting indeed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the kudos and comments! I really appreciate it! I hope you continue to like the fic!

When Harry woke up he knew immediately he wasn’t in his cupboard. First whatever surface he was laying on was way too soft and warm to be his cot, and second, he wasn’t awoken by Aunt Petunia screaming at him to get breakfast ready. Wanting to see where this heavenly place, was he slowly opened his eyes.

He was laying in a large bed covered with a thick green comforter. He sat up slowly looking around the room and saw through blurry vision a bedroom that was as large as the first floor of the Dursley house. The walls were painted a cream color and accented by dark green curtains that were currently pulled shut tightly across two tall windows. A fire burned in the large marble fireplace, creating a comfortable warmth, with two blurry forms Harry assumed were chairs in front of it. There were a few other shapes of dark brown that seemed to be furniture but Harry couldn't tell exactly what. But from what little he could see, everything in the room looked much nicer than anything Harry had seen at the Dursleys.

He didn't have much time to look around before the door opened. Two blurry shapes walked in, one about Harry’s height and the other a good bit taller, but not tall enough to be an adult. He squinted at the shapes until they became distinguishable. The taller of the two was a boy Harry guessed to be about 13. Harry couldn’t think of any words to describe the boy except beautiful. He had dark hair that was combed back neatly, showing clear blue eyes that seemed to look into Harry’s soul when they met his. His face was expressionless as he walked across the room followed by a short...creature. Harry wasn’t sure what it was. It’s head seemed much too large for it’s body and it had large eyes that stared at him. It was carrying a wide silver tray laden with food and Harry had no idea how the thing didn’t fall forward under the weight of it. Harry pulled the blanket to his chest and scooted away as the two approached the bed. “That will be all Pipsky,” the boy said.

The creature set the tray down on a table next to the bed. It bowed, snapped, and disappeared. Harry’s eyes widened as he stared at the place the creature had stood. When he looked back at the boy he was sitting in a chair that Harry swore wasn’t in the room a few moments ago. “Hello.” The boy smiled.

Harry only gripped the blankets and pulled them tighter against his chest. The boys smile turned sympathetic. “It’s alright. You’re probably scared right now. Don’t worry I’m not going to hurt you.” Harry shivered as he remembered the lady saying similar words. “What’s your name?”

He eyed the boy warily for a moment before responding. “My teacher calls me Harry.”

The boy’s smile grew slightly. “Hello Harry. Now before we move on to the pleasantries I would like to establish the first and most important rule of your stay here. From this day forth you belong to me.”

Harry blinked slowly as he comprehended the words. So it finally happened. His uncle had threatened to sell him or give him away if he didn’t behave. Though Uncle Vernon’s version of ‘good behavior’ was often impossible to accomplish. Harry must’ve broken a rule or been too “freakish” one too many times for the fat man to stand. Harry looked at his lap, clenching his hands tightly to keep them from shaking. “What do you want from me?” He asked.

Tom stared the boy sitting on the bed in front of him. He had been expecting either confusion or terror, not this sad but reluctantly accepting child. His eyebrows narrowed slightly but he pressed on. “Nothing much. You are to be my pet. You will be loyal to me and only me and do what I say. In return it is my job to protect and provide for you.”

Harry nodded and looked up, wet green eyes meeting blue. At least this boy was nice to him. Even if it was only temporary, because nothing like this lasted forever, he’d already been given more comfort than he ever got at the Dursley’s. The boy pulled a piece of paper off of the tray that the small creature had brought in. The paper had writing on it Harry didn’t understand and a large blank circle in the middle. “Give me your hand,” the boy commanded.

Harry did so, trembling slightly. The boy gripped Harry’s hand tightly with one of his own and took a knife in the other. Harry’s eyes widened fearfully and he tried to pull away but the boy, being older and much stronger, held it in a vice like grip. “It will only hurt for a moment. If you keep struggling it will just hurt more.” He said and Harry stopped pulling away but his hand still shook.

The boy pressed the knife against Harry’s finger, cutting a thin line into his skin. He turned Harry’s hand to allow a few drops of blood drip into the blank circle on the page. The paper glowed and the writing seemed to lift off of the paper and into the air. Harry stared in awe as the letters glowed gold and dissolved into two streams of golden light. One hit the boy in the chest causing the grip on Harry’s wrist to loosen slightly but he was too distracted by the second stream coming towards him to pull away. The golden light hit him in the heart and a warmth enveloped him as if he were being hugged. He sighed and relaxed, closing his eyes for a moment to enjoy the feeling.

He opened them again when something wet touched the hand the boy was holding. He was pouring something onto the cut and Harry watched as it closed before his eyes. Harry stared shocked at his now healed finger before looking at the boy with the same expression. The boy seemed to be keeping from laughing. “So Harry,” the boy leaned forward, propping his elbows on the edge of the bed, “What do you know about magic?”

 

Harry stared in shocked disbelief as the boy told him what seemed to be a fantastical story. He described a world of magic that existed parallel to the one Harry knew. He said that witches and wizards lived in fear that muggles, apparently that was the word for non magic users, would kill them all if they found out. The boy even summoned a small light in his hands to demonstrate. As the boy went on about the wonders of the magical world something clicked in Harry’s mind. This must be the freakishness Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon yelled at him for. It certainly explained why his hair had grown back after his Aunt shaved nearly all of it off before the first day of school. Or when one of Dudley’s gang had been picking on him and the tree branch had “just happened” to fall and hit him on the head, giving Harry enough time to run away. When Tom finished explaining he simply sat back and asked, “Any questions?”

Harry opened his mouth but there were too many thoughts racing through his head. How did you perform magic? What was the paper? What was that creature from earlier? Was he able to do all of the wonderful things the boy talked about? His mouth worked silently as he tried to choose which question to ask. He didn’t have to though as his stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly. The boy smirked, amused, as Harry flushed. “Why don’t you have breakfast while you think?”

Harry nodded and looked at the food on the tray. There was bacon, eggs, toast, and fruit. Harry’s mouth watered at the sight of it, as the boy picked up a slice of toast and spread jam across it. He held the slice out to Harry but when the younger boy reached to take it he pulled back. “Ah, pets are meant to be fed not feed themselves.” The boy chastised.

Harry dropped his hand confused but caught on when the boy touched his chin. He opened his mouth and took a bite of the toast. He couldn’t remember ever having food like this. It was heaven on his tongue and he let out a soft sigh. The boy smirked and Harry realized he never introduced himself. “What is your name?” Harry asked after he swallowed, remembering the manners Petunia drilled into him for the few times he had to eat with guests.

“My name is Tom,” the boy said, feeding Harry another bite. “You, however, will call me ‘my Lord’ or ‘Master’.”

“Why can’t I call you Tom?”

Tom smiled, “Because you are my pet.”

Harry frowned and continued eating. He managed to finish the two slices of toast but when Tom held up a bite of eggs he shook his head, his stomach tightening. He hadn’t eaten this much in months. Tom pursed his lips but set the fork down nonetheless. Instead he reached into his pocket and took out a golden chain. He gestured for Harry to bow his head and placed the chain around the younger boy’s neck. “What is this?” Harry asked, fingering the chain.

“It’s for your protection.” Tom replied. “There are some defensive spells placed on it as well as a tracking charm.”

Harry tried to pull the chain off but it wouldn’t go past his chin. “Only I can take it off.” Tom said as he stood up. “I have some matters to attend to. If you need anything call Pipsky. She is yours and will do what you tell her. I suggest you try to get some sleep. Your lessons start tomorrow and you should be well rested.”

“Lessons?”

Tom nodded. “You still require basic schooling and you should start learning magic sooner rather than later. I’ll be back in the morning. Goodnight.”

Tom began to leave before Harry cried, “Wait!” He turned back. Harry nervously wrung the blanket edge with his hands, “Um... Do you know where my glasses are?”

Tom looked at him quizzically. “There were no glasses when I acquired you. How bad is your vision?”

Harry frowned and debated a bit before pushing back the blankets. He sat up on his knees and leaned closer to the older boy. When he was about a foot and a half away he stopped and smiled slightly as he looked into Tom’s blue eyes. “You’re clear now.” He said. “I can see you further away but you're a bit fuzzy.”

Tom pursed his lips in thought. “I’ll have a healer come to examine your eyes. We’ll see about getting you a new pair.”

“Thank you,” Harry nodded and crawled back under the covers. “How long can I sleep here?” He asked as he closed his eyes.

“This is your room so as long as I decide to keep you.”

Harry’s eyes flew open and he sat up. “Really?” He asked, “I get to stay here?” He looked around the room again, drinking in every detail he could make out. When he thought this was only temporary he had dismissed many of the objects in the room. After all there was no reason to pay attention if it was just going to be taken away from him.

Tom nodded and smiled slightly at the wonder on the boy’s face. “Yes. Now get some sleep.”

“Goodnight...master.”

Tom smiled and swept out of the room without another word. Shortly after there was a small ‘pop’ and the strange creature from earlier appeared again. Harry stared at her while she collected the tray of half eaten food. 

“What are you?” He asked finally.

The creature glanced at him before bowing low, somehow not dropping the tray. “I is being a house elf Master Harry. I’s Pipsky. I’s Master Harry’s elf now. If youse needs anything just clap and Pipsky will come right away.”

Harry only nodded and closed his eyes. Between waking up in this strange place, being sold by his uncle, and learning that magic existed...it was too much for his six year old mind to handle. So instead he closed his eyes, followed his new owner’s orders, and drifted off into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just got a new dog a week ago so the next chapter might be a bit late. Thanks for all of your support!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello beautiful peoples of the world! Sorry it took so long to post this. My dog is absolutely adorable but she's very tiring and I've been traveling a lot.
> 
> Also sorry about the weird first paragraph in the last chapter. I explained in the comments but for some reason it included my friends comments when I copied it over from google docs. I have fixed it so you guys can go back if you want.
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos! I have a folder in my email with all the comment notifications and I look at them when I need a happiness boost. I really appreciate it.
> 
> Anyway hope you enjoy!

Tom gave him a list of rules the next day. It was a short and easy one to follow in comparison to the Dursley’s restrictions. Tom didn’t ask as much of him. Don’t fiddle with his necklace. Don’t leave the east wing without Tom. Don’t speak to anyone except the house elves without Tom’s permission. Go to lessons on time and complete the assigned work.

He quickly settled into a routine at the Riddle manor, which he learned was the place he was staying in. Everyday, Pipsky woke him up early in the morning and helped him dress before Tom showed up to have breakfast. Slowly, his appetite grew as the days passed until eventually he could eat half of the food given to him. Though it took a while to get used to Tom feeding him, he became used to that as well.

After breakfast, he had lessons in the morning with a few tutors Tom had hired. The classes ranged from reading and writing to basic magic. Harry wasn’t sure what to expect from the magic classes. Sure he had seen Tom summon colorful lights and make them dance across his palms, but a part of Harry just couldn’t believe he could do the same things. His first tutor was a stern looking woman, tall with dark hair pulled back into a tight braid. “Magic is not something to take lightly.” Her voice was as sharp as her long nose. “Most wizards use a wand to help control the forces that surround us. However, my employer wishes for you to master wandless magic. Thus you must learn absolute control or else the power will burn you alive.”

The words instilled a deep fear in Harry, though that must've been what his teacher was hoping for since she seemed pleased at his terrified expression. She was a good deal nicer after her introductory speech and Harry felt the beginnings of deep respect for the woman. She told him about how there were two main branches of magic, light and dark. Light magic was structured and orderly, while dark magic relied more on emotional and personal control. Most people preferred light magic since wands automatically provide a basis of control whereas dark magic could only be controlled through years of practice. There was a third type called grey or neutral magic but very few spells were truly neutral so it was a very small branch of magic. Since Harry would be learning magic without a wand, it would be up to his core type which magic would be easiest for him to perform. He was slightly disappointed once he realized he would be studying magic theory and how magic works before trying any spells.

The only other lesson that was as interesting as his magic lessons was his magic history and culture class. His teacher was an old man with large glasses that covered half his face and he described the magical world in a way that made it almost come alive in front of Harry. Both Magic History and Magic Theory made up for the absolute bore that was his etiquette class. There were just so many rules he had to follow! But Tom said he had to learn them before he was allowed to go out in public or he might embarrass Tom so he put extra effort into the class in hopes of pleasing him.

He only had two classes a day before Tom came back for lunch. As they ate Harry would recap everything he learned. After lunch, most days Tom would spend the afternoon with him. They’d either walk through the gardens or spend the time in the library reading. The best thing by far about Riddle manor was the books. Harry had always loved reading, though previously the only consistent thing he was allowed to read was the list of chores from Aunt Petunia. When he had started school he spent all of his free time in the library, trying to absorb as much knowledge as he could in the safety of the concrete walls. He had taken to the Riddle family library with the same enthusiasm as he had with his school’s, almost wanting to cry with happiness when he saw the ceiling high shelves filled with books upon books. Of course he couldn’t understand most of them since he was only six, but just the thought of being allowed to read so much made him happy beyond belief. Thus whenever Tom left him alone he could most often be found in the library or his room, tucked up in front of the fireplace with large books on basic magic or some other topic that interested him. There were a few afternoons when Tom would leave him alone. Once, Harry tried to ask what he was doing but the only reply he got was “Business.”

It wasn’t long before something went wrong though, as things always seemed to go wrong around Harry. It was one of the afternoons Tom had left him alone after lunch. He was wandering the halls of the manor by himself. Pipsky normally walked with him whenever he left his room but she was preoccupied cleaning up and putting away the large stack of books he had left by his bed. He carried the one he was currently reading in his arms, Basic Core Theory. Riddle manor was large and Harry was still unfamiliar with the winding halls so it wasn’t too big of a shock when he stumbled upon a room he had only seen once before.

It was easily one of the grandest rooms Harry had ever seen. The ceiling was at least twenty feet high with a huge sparkling chandelier decorating the room with slivers of rainbow light. A large staircase started near the entrance into the hallway where Harry stood and swept its way up and across the room to a second floor. A large set of double doors stood on one of the walls, framed by tall windows showing the front entrance to the mansion. This was the way to the rest of the manor. Tom had taken him here when he had given Harry the initial tour of the building and told him not to pass this point without him. Harry looked around cautiously. There was no one else Harry could see, whether in the room or in the hallway on the opposite side, and _It wouldn't hurt to look just a little bit right?_ so he took a tentative step forward.

Almost instantly his necklace began to heat up. He dropped his book and reached for his neck, anxious to get the hot metal away from his skin. He stumbled backwards back into the hallway and fell to his knees, tears welling up. After a moment a hand gripped his shoulder and the pain lessened slightly. Glancing up he could see it was Tom, his eyebrows narrowed with tightly held anger. Tom grabbed his arm roughly and began dragging him down the hallway, back in the direction Harry had come from. His short legs had to struggle to keep up with the tall boy and between that and the heat still around his neck he had trouble concentrating on the words Tom was speaking. “I gave you freedom, limited as it may be, and this is what you do with it? Go precisely where I told you not to?” He said as they continued down a hallway Harry vaguely recognized as one near his room. “I told you if you disobeyed you would be punished. Well here you go.”

They stopped in front of Harry’s room as Tom flung the door open and tossed the small boy inside. “You are to stay in here until I decide you are responsible enough to be let out again.” He said to the heap of child on the floor. “Pipsky will bring you your meals. Until I return you can reflect on your actions.” He whirled around and closed the door solidly behind him.

Harry could hear the bolt slide shut and looked up at the door anxiously. _No. No. No._ This couldn’t be happening. He scrambled to his feet and tried the door handle but it wouldn’t budge. “Master?” He called softly, praying Tom was still on the other side of the door. When there was no reply he called again, this time louder and with considerably more panic in his voice. Tom had left him here. He wouldn’t get rid of Harry for this would he? He wouldn’t send him back to the cupboard. He wouldn't. He couldn't.

Suddenly all Harry could feel was darkness around him and the pressing feeling that only accompanied the room that was his home for the past five years. He reached forward and touched the wood with shaking hands. Tom had to be on the other side. Tom would let him out. Tom, the only person who had ever taken an interest in Harry, even if it was only as a pet. Tom, who gave him food until he couldn’t eat anymore and sat with him until he fell asleep. Tom wouldn’t leave him. Would he?

He scratched at the wood, trying to claw his way through to the boy who he hadn’t known for very long but had filled a large part of the aching hole in Harry’s heart. He clawed until he fingertips burned and he could feel the splinters dig into his hands and then he clawed some more. Until the wood was damp and he could barely move his hands without stabbing pain going all the way down his fingers. And when he hit that moment he slumped over on the floor. Tom wasn’t coming. Tom had left him here.

He was alone.

 

Tom plopped back down at his desk and crossed his arms. He couldn’t believe this. The boy had blatantly disobeyed the rules he was given. Tom knew he had taken Harry to that exact area and told him never to go in there. Why would he break the rules now? Harry had been perfectly obedient so far, if a bit clingy. Though that made it a bit easier to train him since Tom didn’t have to gain his trust first. Harry’s actions almost made him think of a puppy sometimes. He would follow Tom around whenever they were together and talked about all manner of things; what he learned in his lessons, what he was reading about, different things he saw in the garden, random thoughts that popped into his head. The only time the boy seemed to be quiet was when he was reading.

“Pipsky,” he called, tapping his foot with excess energy and annoyance.

The house elf appeared with a soft pop and dropped quickly into a low bow. “What does youse require Master Riddle?” She asked, trembling under his angry gaze.

“Where exactly were you when Harry decided to go wandering into the main entryway?” His voice was like ice and she flinched with every word.

“Pipsky is sorry Master Riddle. Pipsky be putting aways Master Harry’s books.” The house elf shook like a leaf in a storm.

Tom’s eyes narrowed even further. “Shouldn’t you have given the task to another house elf and accomplished your main instructions of supervising my pet?”

With a wail she threw herself on the floor submissively. “I is so sorry Master Riddle! Pipsky is a horrible elf! Pipsky is stupid and not thinking right! Pipsky is deservings the worst punishments Master Riddle cans think of. But please don’t give Pipsky clothes!”

She pressed herself into the floor so hard Tom thought she might become one with the carpet. “I won’t give you clothes this time elf, if only because there was no one there to see Harry. But you shall punish yourself before bringing Harry his dinner. And never leave him alone again.” The last words came out as more growl than speech.

Pipsky nodded fervently and stood back up, still bowed. “Pipsky thanks Master Riddle for his kindness. Pipsky shall be going and doing as Master Riddle says now.”

Tom nodded once in dismissal and leaned back as the house elf disappeared once again. Pipsky would bring Harry his dinner tonight and Tom would visit him in the morning to see if he was repentant. If he wasn't...well it wasn’t hard to think of much worse things than being stuck in one’s room for an evening.

He leaned forward again to the work he had been doing when the alarm on Harry’s collar went off. He had charmed the metal with a bit more than a tracking charm as he had told Harry previously. It would also notify him if Harry went past the boundaries Tom had set around the manor, if he was attacked, and had several protection wards. Before this none of the collars alarms had been set off and Tom wondered again why Harry had chosen this moment to cross the line.

He angrily turned his attention back to the homework his own tutor had assigned, trying not to think about the raven haired child. The struggle to focus on his work and not let the ink pool from stabbing the paper too hard continued until a loud crack filled the room. He looked up, annoyed, to see Pipsky standing there, her face a sobbing wreck. He instantly stood up alarmed. “What happened?” He demanded. The alarm hadn’t gone off so Harry couldn’t have been attacked. Unless he’d made a mistake when casting the spell...Rubbish. He didn’t make mistakes like that.

“M-Master Riddle,” Pipsky sobbed, “Pipsky be’s b-bringing Master H-Harry his dinner and h-he’s be laying on the floor. S-S-So I’s be trying to w-wakes him and he not be m-moving no matter what I’s d-d-do.”

Tom could only understand about half of what the house elf said but it was enough for him to bolt out of his chair and cross the study before she even finished speaking. He made his way down the halls at a speed as close to running as any self respecting pureblood moved until he reached Harry’s room. He unlocked the door and quickly flung it open. Harry was lying on the bed and made no movement in acknowledgement of Tom’s presence. He crossed over to the bed, quickly noticing the tear tracks on Harry’s cheeks and the appalling state of his hands. Harry’s fingers were streaked with blood, thin slivers of wood jutted out of his flesh, and Tom suspected at least two of the nails were broken.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and lifted the child gently, placing Harry’s head on his lap, suddenly taking in how small the younger boy actually was. “Harry,” he said softly, brushing the hair from his face. “Harry wake up.”

He sent a spark of magic along with the command, the contract forcing Harry to obey. The boy opened his eyes but Tom could tell he still wasn’t seeing anything. He looked into the green orbs and delved into his mind, trying to discover the cause of his pet’s state.

_He sat in a small dark room. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he could see it wasn’t so much a room at all but rather a small closet of some kind. Shoved into the small space was a cot and a single shelf on which rested the shattered pieces of a broken toy and a few sets of ragged clothes. Harry sat next to him, curled up into a tight ball with his arms wrapped around his head. Tom reached out gently to touch the boy but before he could there was a sharp movement in front of him._

_The slats of a small grate were opened and beady eyes peered in from the other side, blocking all but a few beams of light. “That’s right you little freak!” A man’s voice shouted from the other side of the door. Harry visibly shrunk under the words. “You know better than to show your freakishness when we have guests! You’re lucky that we took you in! We could have just dropped you off at the orphanage and been done with you! You’ll stay in there until you learn your lesson!”_

_The grate slammed shut again, causing Harry to let out a small whimper. Tom leaned over more and laid a hand gently on his back. “Harry.” He said, “Harry you need to wake up now.”_

_The small boy looked up slowly towards him._

“Master?”

Tom blinked and was back in Harry’s bedroom. Harry’s eyes looked at him with a growing recognition. “Master!” He repeated and threw his arms around Tom’s neck. “I'm sorry!” he cried into Tom’s shoulder, “I’m sorry. I’ll be good. Please don’t send me back. I’m sorry. Please don’t leave me.”

Tom gently patted Harry on the back. “It’s alright.” He said comfortingly, “It’s okay now. You're here. I’m not going to send you back.”

Harry only gripped Tom tighter and he thought about the pain Harry’s hands must be in. “Pipsky.” He called and the elf appeared instantly. “Get me some dittany, a dreamless sleep potion,and a parchment and quill.”

Pipsky nodded, her eyes shifting between the stern face of Tom and the wrecked boy in his arms. She vanished and reappeared only a few moments later with the requested items. Tom took the dreamless sleep potion and gently pried the small child away from his torso. “Harry I need you to drink this,” he said softly but firmly. “It’ll put you to sleep without any nightmares.”

Harry looked up at him, his eyes wet. “Are you going to leave?” He asked shakily.

“No. I’ll stay until a healer comes to check on your injuries.”

Harry looked down at his hands as if only now realizing the state they were in. “Okay,” he said and readily drank the potion Tom fed to him.

Almost instantly his eyelids drooped and he leaned into Tom’s chest, gripping tightly to the edge of his robe, his breathing evening out as he fell into slumber. Tom removed the boy from his lap and laid him out on the bed. With a wave of his hand he removed the splinters from Harry’s mangled hands before pouring the Dittany on the wounds. A quick glance around the room revealed the source of the injuries. The doorway was marked with several long red scratches and the wood was gouged out along many of the lines.

Tom quickly penned a letter to the healer and sent Pipsky off to mail it before thinking more on what he had seen in Harry’s dream. Where was that place? Was that what Harry had experienced growing up? He had of course noticed that sometimes, if he moved quickly, Harry would flinch away but he had assumed it was because he had been kidnapped and kept at the auction house. A surge of anger boiled through him at the thought of someone harming his possession. He felt a burning need to find the man behind the grate and end him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry I didn't post last month. I got a new job and school started and I got into a car accident so things have been really hectic. But its my birthday! So I decided I would give a reverse birthday present to you all! Hope you enjoy it!

Tom watched as the healer cast several diagnosis spells on Harry, telling himself that he was not concerned. Not at all. The number of spells kept growing until she finally turned holding a long piece of parchment, her face worried. “I don’t know where you found this child but you both should be glad he’s here now. He has four fractures on his right arm, three on his left, three on his right leg, two on his left, and four on his ribs. All of which have healed incorrectly except for one on his left forearm. He also seems to suffer from malnutrition, which would account for his small size. How old did you say he was?”

“Six.” Tom breathed. Who the hell did this?

“Right. He should be a good 10 pounds heavier at least. And a few inches taller. It seems he was receiving nutrition potions up until a few weeks ago. He also has muscular tears along his arms and legs. The only explanation is whoever he was staying with was severely physically abusive. I’d suggest you get a mind healer in here as well to take a look at him.”

Tom looked down at the boy lying on the bed a hint of what seemed to be concern shining in his eyes. “How are his hands?” He asked, focusing on the small appendages.

The healer followed his gaze. “The cuts? Oh those will be fine. Just apply dittany once or twice as needed and they should heal right up. He will also need some other potions to help with the muscular damage. There isn't much we can do about the bones short of re breaking them. However, they aren’t severe enough that they’ll have a negative impact on him as he grows up though.”

Tom nodded and took the paper with the potion names and instructions on their usage. “Thank you again Miss Langston.”

She nodded and smiled down at Harry. “Just keep him fed and give him is potions Master Riddle. That’s the best you can do for him.” With that she flooed back to Saint Mungo’s, leaving the two boys alone.

Tom sat down in a plush armchair next to the bed and looked over Harry’s sleeping face in contemplation. He steepled his hands and thought about what his next steps would be. He wanted nothing more right now than to hunt down these muggles who hurt his pet so much and torture them until they begged for death. He could get some of the information at the auction house, though how accurate Tom didn’t know and the specifics at least would have to come from Harry himself.

He was so focused on his plans he missed the small eyelids flutter open, revealing a hint of bright green orbs. “Master?” Harry asked, the word barely a whisper.

“I’m here.”

Harry turned towards his voice and reached out a small hand. Tom took it, surprised at how tightly Harry held onto him. Harry exhaled and seemed to relax at the contact. “Master.” He sighed.

“Harry,” Tom began, unsure how to broach the subject of the heavy abuse with the small boy but needing the information. “Harry, I need to know who the people who took care of you before are.”

Harry stiffened again, his small hand clenching tightly. “B-But why?” He finally managed to say past the lump of fear in his throat.

Tom squeezed his hand back reassuringly. “So that they can pay for what they’ve done to you.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “No!” He cried. “You can’t! They’ll hurt you!” Tears welled up in his eyes and his breath started coming in short, uncontrollable gasps.

Tom tightened his grip on the small boy’s hand, his other hand coming up to his head and softly stroked his hair back. “Harry, It’s alright. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

Harry didn’t reply, only surged up and grabbed at Tom’s robes and gripped them tightly as if trying to keep him from leaving. “Harry.” Tom repeated but Harry showed no signs of letting go. “Harry calm down.” A spark of magic and the gasping sobs slowed to something more manageable.

Finally, Harry calmed down enough for Tom to pull him away. “Harry look at me.” Large, tear filled eyes met his. “Do you trust me?” A nod. “Then trust that I know what I’m doing.”

Harry nodded again shakily and wiped his face. “Now who did all of this to you?”

Harry looked away, biting his lower lip. “My uncle,” he finally said. Though it was so quiet Tom could barely hear him.

“He’s the one who yelled at you through the grate in the door?” It was more a statement than a question but Harry nodded.

“My parents died in an accident when I was a baby. Aunt and uncle took me in. They said I had to cook and clean to pay them back. When I didn’t do a good enough job…” He trailed off, wringing his hands nervously.

“Harry none of this is your fault. These muggles need to be held accountable. Where do they live?”

Harry’s brow furrowed in concentration. “It’s a small, white house. Number 4. In Surrey. I don’t know the street name.” He looked at his lap wishing he could help more but also fearing what Tom might find there.

“Harry look at me.” When their eyes met Tom took the image Harry was thinking of and stored it away. Between this and the information he could obtain at the auction house he should have enough to locate the filthy muggles. “I want you to rest until I return. If you need anything tell Pipsky but don’t get out of this bed. Do you understand?”

Harry nodded once and laid back on his pillow. “You’ll be safe right?” He asked as Tom pulled the blankets up over him.

Tom smiled and there was something slightly terrifying about the expression. “Of course.”

  
The Malfoys were known for being one of the wealthiest wizarding families for generations so it seemed fit that everything about them would reflect that wealth. Their manor was an example of this. One of the largest in Britain, below only the Riddle manor and the Black family home, the building had been passed down from generation to generation of Malfoy descendants, each making their own contribution to the grand estate. The lush gardens surrounding the estate were there courtesy of Malicus Malfoy, the third generation to live there since the family purchased the grounds, while the enormous library was installed shortly after Alexander Malfoy, his grandson, took the lordship. With each Malfoy lord the manor became both larger and more extravagant until it was the home that Abraxas lived in currently.

The youngest Malfoy sat in his own private study, relaxing after a long day of lessons, when the fire lit up a bright green, revealing a dark figure that stepped elegantly into the room. Abraxas immediately put his book down and stood. The floo is his office was only keyed to a few people and only used in case of emergencies. The figure stepped forward, revealing it to be his housemate Tom Riddle with a grim expression. Though Abraxas was definitely the closest person to the Riddle heir, he didn’t think he would necessarily call them friends. Tom Riddle didn’t have friends. He didn’t disclose his secrets to anyone, instead preferring to listen to others secrets and use them to his advantage. Though both the young boys had known each other from a young age due to their statuses and there had always been a wordless agreement that their combined power was beneficial to both sides. Thus the Malfoy and the Riddle boys became as close to friends as they could be.

The current look on Tom’s face set Abraxus on edge. Seldom did Tom allow his emotions to leak through the mask he presented to the world, and if the murderous expression on his face was any indication, something bad must have happened. “What is it?” Abraxas asked.

Tom’s glare shifted momentarily to him, causing a shiver to go down his spine, but it moved away just as quickly. So he wasn’t the cause. “Zippy!” Tom called, a soft crack sounding as soon as the words were out of his mouth. “Tea. Now.”

The elf bowed and disappeared as Tom took a seat in the armchair across from the one Abraxas had been previously occupying. After a moment of staring at the fire he spoke. “Someone has been abusing my pet.”

The words hung in the air as Abraxas sat back down. “Do you know who?”

Tom nodded once as the house elf reappeared and distributed cups of tea to the two boys. Tom sipped his and leaned back in the chair. “I need to go back to the auction house. Two bodies are better than one.”

Abraxas understood the unspoken command. This is what truly prevented the two boys from having any close relationship. The Riddle’s were the noblest of the wizarding families and that was the way Tom acted. Everyone else was either a subordinate, a nuisance, or nothing. “When do you want to go?” Abraxas asked as he sipped his own tea.

“Tonight. The play ends at 11.”

A quick tempus showed it was nearing 10:45. “We better get ready then.”

Tom nodded and continued to stare at the fire as Abraxas got his cloak and boots. When he returned the other boy scarcely moved a muscle. Abraxas waited until Tom stood up before grabbing the floo powder.

“Blue Moon Theater!”

  
The backstage of the theater during a play was significantly different from after the auction. It was a bustle of chaos and movement, people rushing this way and that to set up props, get to their marks, or change clothing. Tom and Abraxus waited silently on the sidelines, separate from the confusion as the play finished and the audience cheered and cheered. Finally things seemed to wind down enough that the manager was able to speak to them. “How may I help you this evening Master Riddle? Master Malfoy?” The old man smiled genially though Abraxas could see he was worried that something might be wrong.

Tom smiled with no hint of the anger that he had shown at Malfoy manor. “Pardon the sudden intrusion,” he said, “But I need some information about the object I purchased at your last auction. Specifically where your people acquired it.”

The manager paled slightly and glanced around quickly to see who might be listening. “Gentlemen, might I request we take this conversation to my office?”

“Certainly.”

They followed the theater manager through the chaos to a small door tucked in the back corner of the building. On the other side was an office much too big to fit into the space the building allowed and filled with piles of paperwork. Tom and Abraxas sat in two chairs while the manager took his seat on the other side of the desk. “I hope there hasn’t been a problem with your purchase Master Riddle.” The old man said as he rifled through the papers to find the Riddle’s file.

“Nothing of the sort,” Tom assured him, “I merely wished to know where it came from. Specifically.”

“Of course Master Riddle.” He grabbed a pair of spectacles off of the desk and put them on, squinting through them to make out the writing on the paper. “It seems Lara was the one to bring in that particular piece of merchandise. She is here tonight if you don't mind waiting a moment while I have her fetched. Would you like a cup of tea?”

A muscle in Tom’s face twitched ever so slightly at having to wait even longer but Abraxas guessed no one but him would have noticed. “That would be lovely. Thank you.”

The manager waved his wand and sent a paper airplane to summon Lara before preparing three cups of tea. Abraxas sipped politely at the offered beverage but it was mediocre at best. Especially after having the tea his elves prepared just minutes prior. After a few minutes of aimless small talk a dark haired woman appeared in the doorway, still in costume. “You asked to see me Mic?” She asked, her gaze drifting over the two well dressed boys sipping tea. “And who are these lovelies?”

“This is Tom Riddle and Abraxas Malfoy. Heirs to both of their lines.” The manager indicated each boy along with their name, praying Lara wouldn’t say or do anything to offend the sons of two of the oldest and richest families in the wizarding world.

Lara smiled and curtsied. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Tom smiled. “I hear you are the person to thank for my latest acquisition.”

Lara glanced at the manager in confusion. “The boy you picked up in Surrey a couple months ago.” He clarified, handing her the file.

She glanced it over. “Right. He was a pretty one. What about him?”

“I would like to know specifically where in Surrey you picked him up.”

She studied the page for a moment longer, her lips pursed. “It was outside some park. You got a map?” The manager nodded and looked through the papers once again. “Marv’s or Mills. Something with an M.”

The manager pulled out a folded sheet and laid it across the table. Lara looked over it for a moment before pointing to a crossroads. “There. That’s the place.”

Mays Park. It was certainly a start. “Thank you very much for your time Mr. Secrits, Lara. Now if you’ll excuse us we have other business to attend to.”

The manager showed both of the boys out with a smile but Abraxas could see a considerable weight leave the man’s shoulders and the left the theater. “To Surrey?” He asked the brunette standing beside him.

“To Surrey.”

  
The night air was cold and Tom pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders. Mays Park was completely empty, only holding a small swing set and a slide, both of which were old and in need of repair. “Mipkey,” Tom said softly, and a small, shivering figure appeared. “Where is it?”

The elf pointed down the street. “T-This way s-s-sir.” He stammered.

Tom had sent the elves ahead to scour the small suburb for a number 4 house while he prepared things back at the manor. “What’s the plan?” Abraxas asked softly.

Tom remained silent for a moment. “We find them and we take them home. And then I get to have fun.” He smiled and Abraxas had to look away from the bloodthirsty grin.

They continued the walk in silence through the neighborhood. Each house was perfectly arranged and manicured so they were nearly identical. Abraxas sneered at the uniformity, muggles had no inspiration. Number 4 wasn’t any better. In fact it was worse if that was even possible. Perhaps it was just the knowledge of what sort of vile people lived within the walls that made it seem even more perfect and annoying. The house was dark and silent as the two boys approached. The house elf unlocked the door with a snap and it opened silently on well oiled hinges. Tom entered first, stepping into the entryway. It was as immaculate as the outside of the house, the floors and walls scrubbed so clean a chemical lemon smell permanently filled the air. Tom wrinkled his nose in distaste as he stepped further into the room, his eyes falling on a small door under the staircase with a small gold grate and three deadbolts. Abraxas froze behind him feeling the sudden onslaught of rage filled magic emanating from the brunette. Tom walked forward slowly to the cupboard and undid the bolts, the scraping filling the silence. Inside was a space so small he could have touched both ends without needing to fully extend his arms. One of the walls was covered in small crayons doodles surrounding the words Harry’s Room and a small shelf underneath held the broken remnants of the writing utensils. The entire floor was filled with a low cot speckled with dots of red. Tom closed the cupboard door wordlessly and the aura of magic around him disappeared as it shut. Abraxas balled his hands into fists to prevent them from trembling, the abrupt absence of the rage scared him even more than its presence. He stayed silent as Tom passed him to head up stairs. “Come,” he said, his voice a deadly calm.

Abraxas followed silently, the stairs creaking slightly beneath them. As they ascended loud snores could be heard coming from two of the three bedrooms. The first held a young boy roughly the shape of an oversized beach ball. He seemed to be about the same age as Harry though the size difference was vast. Tom pulled a small vial from his robes and held it in front of the boy's face, letting him inhale the light blue fumes for a moment before corking the vial again. “Mipkey take him.” He ordered.

The elf bowed and complied, disappearing with the boy as Tom swept out of the room. The process continued in the second bedroom, this time with a man who seemed more whale than human and a stick thin woman. As they walked out of the house Tom turned back for a moment. “What is it?” Abraxas asked, wishing to get home and away from this whole situation.

Tom pulled one last object from his robe, a dark stone with a glowing orange rune, and tossed it into the entryway. It ignited as it hit the floor and soon the foyer was blackened as it filled with flames. They walked away quickly as the flames engulfed the entire house and began spreading to the others nearby. Cries of alarm and sirens filled the air as the two watched from the end of the block. Abraxas looked at Tom once more, a million thoughts running through his mind. Was this Tom’s initial plan? What was he planning to do next? What would their fathers say if they found out about the activities both of the boys had been up to that evening? How was Tom going to handle the blatant kidnapping and arson he had just performed? But a single glance banished all thoughts from his mind and all he felt was fear and pity for the muggles who had unknowing poked the belly of the beast contained in a 13 year old boy’s body.

Tom was smiling.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry it’s been taking me to update. Life’s been really busy and it’s not gonna stop anytime soon :P Anyway hope you enjoy!
> 
> Warning for those with triggers this chapter does have torture scenes.

Tom stood sneering over the three filthy humans laying on the dungeon floor. . He waved his wand over the unconscious forms. “Enervate.”

The man was the first to wake up, sitting up quickly in confusion. “What the-” he stopped when he saw Tom pointing a wand at him, his face contorting in fury. “You filthy-”

“Silencio.” Tom said calmly and almost laughed as the fat man clutched at his throat.

The other two were a bit slower but soon they too were awake and trembling with fear. “Hello.Welcome to Riddle manor. My name is Tom.” His smile was deceptively charming as though greeting guests. “You are the Dursleys correct?” He nodded towards them.

“W-what’s going on?” The woman stuttered, looking around the cell they were all in. The room was completely bare with only a single door leading to the hallway outside and no windows.

“Flagrare.” She fell over screaming and clutching at her arm where the jinx hit. “Don’t you know it’s rude not to answer a question?”

She sobbed in pain and the man’s face turned purple with rage but the silencing spell still held. Tom turned to the child since it seemed he was the only one able to speak. “Now you are the Dursley family correct?” The young boy nodded fervently. “There we go. You were the guardians of a six year old named Harry up until a few months ago, correct?”

The whale seemed desperate to say something so Tom cancelled the spell. “This is about the little freak is it? We don’t know what happened to him and we don’t care! Now let us go or-”

Tom waved a hand and he was silent again. “What happened to him is that he was taken and sold to me. So you don’t have to worry about him anymore.” He clapped his hands together and smiled as if giving them a present. “Not that you’ll have to worry about anything shortly.”

The trio watched him warily as he summoned a cauldron and filled it with water. “Since I have evidently done a service to you by taking in Harry I thought it only fair that you do something for me. So you’ll be helping me with a little experiment. They say that if you put a frog in boiling water it will jump out but if you place it in lukewarm water and slowly heat it you can boil the frog alive. I wonder if the same is true for baby whales.” He pointed his wand at the boy and watched gleefully as realization dawned.

The adults grabbed protectively for their son but a quick flick of the wand pushed them back. “Up.” Tom instructed but the boy didn't move. He sighed. “Petrificus totalus.”

The boy froze and Tom levitated him into the cauldron and set a fire underneath. “Now for you two.”

“Please,” the woman begged, “Please don’t do this.”

“Oh Mrs. Dursley. It is far too late to beg.” He waved his wand and shackles appeared, chaining the two to the ceiling. “I think I’ll leave you here to watch my little experiment. Please tell me how it goes.”

With that he swept out of the room, ignoring the pleading cries behind him as the door fell shut and silence overtook the hallway. He made his way briskly back to the bedroom where his pet was waiting for him. He entered the room without knocking to see Harry sitting on the bed, surrounded by books. “Master!” The young boy exclaimed, a huge smile breaking out on his face. “You’re back!”

[Tom still wasn’t used to someone having such a happy reaction to seeing him.] “Yes. And I’m perfectly fine like I told you I would be.” He took a seat and noticed the still full breakfast tray. “You haven’t eaten yet.”

Harry glanced down guiltily. “I-I was waiting for you.”

Tom sighed and picked up a slice of toast, holding it for Harry to take a bite. “If I find out you've been skipping meals you will be punished.”

Harry nodded furiously as he chewed. The meal continued in silence while Harry wondered what had happened last night. Had Tom tried to find the Dursleys? Was he able to? And if he did then why hadn't he been hurt? Tom might be able to do wonderful magic but Uncle Vernon was much bigger and very scary when he got angry.

Tom noticed Harry’s inquisitive glances as he ate but waited till after breakfast was finished before speaking again. “I found your aunt and uncle.”

Harry’s eyes widened fearfully and he started to reach out as if to touch Tom but stopped, a small thought creeping up in the back of his mind. What if Tom was going to send him back? What if the Dursley’s convinced him that Harry really was a freak? Of course this wonderful place of magic was too good to last. So instead he balled his hands into tiny fists and waited for his death sentence.

Tom watched the turmoil play out on the young boy’s face and his eyes narrowed. How dare those filthy muggles do such a thing to his pet. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He still had two perfectly good play things to take his anger out on in the basement, no need to scare his pet. “Harry,” the boy glanced up, “What was the first rule I gave you?”

“I belong to you.”

“Exactly. You are mine. One day you will be my perfect weapon and with you, I will be unstoppable. I will not get rid of you, and I will certainly not give you to horrid muggles like those. Understand?”

Harry bit his lip and nodded. “So what happened?” He asked, relaxing slightly.

“Let’s just say you won’t have to worry about them anymore.” Tom smiled in a way that sent shivers down Harry’s back and he decided not to press for more details, instead opting to tell Tom about the book he had been reading that morning.

  
“So how did it go?” Tom grinned at the two bodies hanging in front of him. The Dursley parents both seemed to be in a shell shocked state, their eyes wide and unblinking as they stared at the bright red corpse that was their son. Their faces were streaked with tears and snot which only served to make them more unattractive. “Well?” Tom asked, rolling his eyes when neither responded. “Oh for Merlin’s sake. Ardeo!”

He cast the spell at the woman, making her shriek in pain. The cries seemed to rouse the man from his stupor. His face contorted angrily, turning almost the same color as the corpse in the cauldron. “You filthy, vile-“

“And that’s enough from you.” Tom silenced him again with a wave. “Since I’m fairly sure your response isn’t going to answer my question how about you?” He turned to the woman who was sobbing softly.

“Please.” She begged. “Please let us go.”

He tasked and shook his head sadly. “Sorry that wasn’t the answer I was looking for. I guess I’ll have to get my results another way.” He gripped her chin tightly, wrenching her face around to look him in the eyes and delved into her mind. He took a backseat and watched as the Dursley child slowly cooked alive, screaming the entire time. When Tom finally removed himself from her mind he was grinning again. “Well it seems I was wrong, a person does notice. But I did get a good show out of it so I’m feeling a little generous right now. I’ve decided that I’m going to let one of you two go, just one mind you. The other will get to join your son in the afterlife. I’ll leave it up to you to decide.”

He conjured a chair and sat, watching the Dursleys with interest. The man opened his mouth to speak but no sound came forth. “Oh sorry,” Tom said as he removed the silencing charm.

“You wretched freak! How dare you do this! I’LL KILL YOU!”

“You know this really isn’t getting anything productive done. I’ll only feel generous for so long.” Tom mused.

“Please,” the woman continued to bed, “Please just let us go.”

“Evidently you could use a lesson on begging for you life from your wife Mr. Dursley,” Tom gestured at the groveling woman but her husband didn’t seem to care, choosing to continue yelling various obscenities and insults. Tom noticed how he never mentioned magic outright, instead calling it ‘freakishness’ and wizards ‘freaks’. Tom’s eyes narrowed as he recalled Harry’s introduction.

“My teacher calls me Harry.”

And that was the moment Vernon Dursley lost all chance of leaving the dungeon alive.

Tom clapped twice and stood, the chair vanishing behind him. “Well, times up. And since Mrs. Dursley is the only one who begged for her life I’m assuming you both agree that she is the one to be saved?”

Neither of the Dursley’s responded except with wide, horrified glares as Tom moved the chains so the man hung in the middle of the room. “Now I found this spell in the back of the library and I’ve just been dying to try it out on someone.” Tom said as he circled the hanging figure. “Pellis Cincinnatus.”

Strips of skin slowly started peeling themselves away from the muscle, forming long curling strands like grotesque ribbons. Mr. Dursley screamed as the strand got longer and longer until they finally fell away, leaving only raw red muscle and fat. Tom cast the spell a second time and slowly those started peeling away as well. A nice side effect of the spell was that the person on which it was cast could not die until it was completed so the man merely continued to scream and writhe in agony as one by one his bones met the chilly air. Tom’s eyes didn’t leave the mutilated body until long after it finally stopped moving. The ground was littered with long strips of red and white and a large pool of blood had accumulated on the ground, seeping into the edge of Tom’s robes. He stepped back and flicked his wand to clean the blood from his clothes, he didn’t want such a filthy muggle to touch him even in such a roundabout way.

Throughout all of this the woman stayed huddled in the corner, sobbing softly. “Take a look Mrs. Dursley. Though I suppose you aren’t a Mrs. anymore are you?” He chuckled and forced the woman to look at her husband’s corpse. “You could have stopped this you know. You could have offered yourself instead of your husband. But you were never much of the self-sacrificing type were you Ms. Dursley? Always making Harry work so you could get all the credit of a tidy home and perfect garden. That’s not how a mother is supposed to act.” He tsked disappointedly. “So I think I’ve found the perfect way for you to learn a little lesson in humility. You’re going to go through the same thing Harry did, except you won’t have as generous a master as me. Don’t worry they won’t kill you. Though you’ll wish they would.”

He let go of her hair and he collapsed into a heap on the floor. “Pathetic,” He sneered and cast a stupefy, leaving the unconscious woman with her family one last time.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always sorry for the long wait and thank you for the comments and kudos! Really guys, it makes me so happy you all like it.

“Harry you’re being ridiculous.”

Harry sniffed and looked up from his position of being wrapped around Tom’s waist. “But-But you’re gonna leave,” He whined. “Is it cause you don’t like me? I’ll be really really good. I promise.” He buried his face back into Tom’s robes, squeezing tighter.

Tom sighed and rolled his eyes. “Harry it’s just school. It has nothing to do with you. Now let go.”

The smaller boy reluctantly did as he was told, wiping his face on his sleeves. “But it’s going to be so long!” He cried.

“I’ll be back for Yule. Now stop crying or I won’t give you what I bought at Diagon Alley.”

Harry’s eyes widened and he quickly scrubbed the rest of the tears from his eyes. “You got me something?” He asked, shock and excitement warring across his features.

Tom nodded and reached into his bag. He had gone to Diagon Alley with Abraxas that morning to buy their school books which reminded him that he had yet to tell Harry about Hogwarts. Specifically that he would be going back in a few weeks. Which lead to Harry’s breakdown. From his bag he procured two identical journals and handed one to Harry. “These will allow you to contact me while I am at school without having to wait for owl post. You simply write in one book and the words appear in the other.” He pulled out a quill and demonstrated.

Harry’s eyes widened in amazement as identical words appeared in the book he held. “Wow,” the child breathed, “So I can write to you anytime? How will I know if you write to me?”

“Yes. Though I can’t guarantee I will respond immediately. The book will glow slightly when there’s a message. I expect you to write at least once a day. It will help you work on your writing and grammar.”

Harry nodded furiously and clutched the book tightly to his chest. His first real present!

...

  
Once Tom left on September 2nd Harry started counting down the days till Yule.

He hadn’t been allowed to go with Tom to the train station, instead sitting in the hall, staring at the door for a long time after he left. He kept his promise to write Tom every day. He wrote once in the morning to say hello, once after classes to tell Tom what he learned, and a few times throughout the afternoon and evening. He tried not to bother Tom too much but he had gotten so used to the older boy’s presence over the summer that it felt like there was a gaping hole in his life.

Three months passed like that, a basic routine of classes in the morning and reading in the afternoon. Harry became very close with the house elves as they were his only conversation partners outside of tutoring. There were 23 in the Riddle household and Harry learned all of their names. He even offered to help with their chores but was stopped by vehement protesting.

A week before Yule things started to change. The house elves became exceedingly busy, cleaning and polishing every surface in the manor. All except Pipsky who never left Harry’s side except when he was sleeping. When Harry wrote one evening and asked Tom what was going on he was told that they were preparing for the Yule ball which the Riddle’s held every year. Tom said Harry wasn’t allowed to attend since there would be a lot of people and he still hadn’t mastered proper etiquette. Though there would be a smaller party of close friends and family for Tom’s birthday and Harry was allowed to come to that.

Four days before Yule, Harry stood in the hallway leading to the entryway. There were a couple of people in there so he had hidden around the corner, waiting for Tom to return. He watched the people talking in the hall in the meantime. There were two men but Harry only recognized the darker haired one as Tom’s father. He had met the man once before Tom had gone to school and remembering the encounter still sent shivers down Harry’s back. There was no doubt where Tom learned his intimidation skills.

Harry was shaken from his thoughts by the main door opening. Two house elves pulled the heavy doors aside, allowing two boys to enter easily. Harry’s eyes instantly latched onto Tom’s form and he had to try hard to keep himself from running out into the foyer. Tom was accompanied by a blonde haired boy who instantly went to the man talking to Tom’s father. Harry assumed they were related since they had the same hair color and he was greeted by a firm pat on the shoulder and a smile. A few words were exchanged before both boys began to make their way towards Harry’s direction. Harry pulled back around the corner and panicked a bit. He should follow Tom’s orders and go back to his rooms so the blonde boy didn’t see him, but he really really wanted to see Tom as soon as possible.

Tom didn’t fail to notice the small face peeking out when they arrived and smirked slightly when it disappeared. “Wait here a moment,” he told Abraxas before entering the east wing. Abraxas looked questioning but did so. Tom moved around the corner to find the hallway deserted. “Harry,” he called softly, knowing the child couldn’t have gone far.

A small head peeked out from an alcove a bit further down the hallway. It looked side to side, ascertaining that Tom was alone, before breaking out in a huge grin and running forward. “Master!” He cried, hugging Tom tightly around the waist.

Tom smiled. He had been slightly worried that Harry would forget his training while he was away but it seemed his worries were not needed. “Hello pet,” he patted Harry’s head and was rewarded with a beaming smile. “I need you to let go. We have guests.”

Harry did so reluctantly and peeked around Tom to see the empty hallway. “You mean the boy who came with you?”

“Yes. His name is Abraxas Malfoy. I have told you about him before.”

Harry nodded remembering the many discussions Tom had had with him about pureblood families. The Malfoys were one of the oldest wizarding families still in power and deserved to be treated with respect. “Do I get to meet him too?” Harry looked up nervously. He didn’t want to be separated from Tom so soon but he would go if Tom ordered him to.

Tom nodded. “Though he has technically met you before. Abraxas was there when I bought you.”

Harry’s hand rose to fiddle with the chain around his neck. He had taken to running the thin gold between his fingers to pass the time when he missed his master. “Alright,” he finally said, “Where is he?”

Tom turned back and called for his housemate. Abraxas swept around the corner with all the grace of a pureblood heir, by now realizing that Tom was explaining what was going on to his pet. Sure enough the two stood in the hallway, Harry blatantly staring at the third person he’d talked to since he was kidnapped from Privet Drive. Abraxas approached slowly, the social niceties needed in this situation were confusing to say the least. Though the boy was considered an object, since he was owned by the Riddles it gave him some sort of status. In the end he decided a simple nod would do. “Hello.”

Harry gripped tightly to Tom’s robes but still managed to bow. “Greetings Heir Malfoy,” he said, trying to remember everything he had learned so far in etiquette class.

He must’ve done well because the blonde smiled slightly and Tom’s hand returned to his head, petting his hair softly. He smiled and pressed into the touch. “You have him well trained,” Abraxas remarked as the three made their way down towards the sitting room.

“He has been working hard at his classes.” Tom agreed.

“Master says I’m good enough to go to his birthday party but he doesn’t want me to go to the ball. Too many rules and people.” Harry made a face.

Abraxas couldn’t help laughing. “Don’t worry you won’t miss much. It’s mostly dancing and trying not to upset people.”

“But I like dancing. Madame Clelia says I’m very good.” The six year old puffed up proudly.

“Perhaps at the party,” Tom mused as they all made themselves comfortable.

Tom sent one of the elves away to get snacks and tea while Abraxas asked Harry about his schooling. Harry was more than happy to share, even demonstrating what little magic he could accomplish wandlessly. Abraxas watched impressed as the child levitated his cup of tea from the table into his hands. “Impressive,” Abraxas noted, “Using wandless magic to keep the ministry from noticing.”

Tom nodded, taking a sip of his own drink. “He will need his own wand eventually but this makes sure if he ever needs to leave the manor he can still perform magic. After all our wards do not extend beyond our own grounds.”

As Abraxas and Tom continued to talk and Harry soon lost interest and went to get a book. Returning with a book, he took his customary spot at Tom’s feet and leaned up against the older boy’s legs. Tom absentmindedly ran his fingers through Harry’s hair and for the first time in months Harry felt complete.

…

Harry fiddled nervously with his robes while he waited for Tom to come get him. He had never worn such formal wear before, not even when he met Tom’s father, and he tried not to somehow undo the elaborately tied robes . Tom’s birthday party might not have a lot of people coming to it but those invited were the highest of the elite and Tom had lectured him many times on manners over the past week. Harry’s mind was so full of etiquette rules he was sure he was going to get them confused and embarrass Tom somehow.

Tom came exactly at 6:30 like he said he would. He looked Harry over and adjusted his robes a bit before leading him out of the room. They made their way through the east wing and into the west to a smaller ballroom than the one the Yule ball was held in. He and Tom were the first to arrive as the rest of the guests weren’t due till seven. Harry sat in one of the chairs by the fire and continued fiddling with the edge of his robes. “Stop that,” Tom ordered and he did, instead clasping his hands together tightly. “Do your best to behave this evening. If you feel like you can’t tell me and you may go back to your room. It would be better than creating a scene.Though as you get older you will be expected to stay the whole time.”

Harry nodded seriously, his hands clasped together so he wouldn’t fidget as he waited for the guests to arrive. Abraxas and his parents were the first to arrive and Harry breathed a sigh of relief that it was someone he knew. Tom gestured for Harry to remain seated while he greeted the blondes. They spoke for a short while before Abraxas’ father left and the two boys joined Harry by the fire. “Hello Harry,” Abraxas greeted and was rewarded with a wide grin.

“Hello Heir Malfoy,” Harry nodded respectfully. “How was the ball?”

Abraxas rolled his eyes and sank back into the chair. “Dreadfully boring. You should be glad you didn’t have to go.”

“I’d be happy anywhere as long as I’m with Master.” Harry grinned.

Tom rolled his eyes at the look Abraxas sent him but lay a hand on Harry’s shoulder approvingly. He was saved having to respond by a knock at the door. One by one the other pureblood children arrived and were gathered in the drawing room while the adults assembled elsewhere. After Abraxas showed up, Tom didn’t sit down, instead moving back and forth between the door and the small group by the fireplace, alternating between greeting guests and introducing Harry to them.

Harry noticed that only the children younger than Tom asked where he came from to which Tom replied that he found Harry in a muggle orphanage. He had taken the young child in to train him to be his aide when he grew up. The older kids didn’t say anything but had a strange look when the topic was brought up which made Harry wonder if they, like Abraxas, has been there when he was bought.

“He’s so adorable,” one of the girls squealed for the umpteenth time while petting his hair and pinching his cheeks. He tried not to blatantly squirm away but he didn’t like the hands touching him. If this went on for much longer, he might have to take Tom up on his offer to send Harry back to his room. A different hand suddenly appeared on his head, grabbing him and dragging him away from the girls prying fingers.

“Thank you for the complement Ms.Black, but I would appreciate it if you do not touch what is mine without permission.”

The girl blushed a furious red and pulled her hand back. “My apologies Mr. Riddle.”

Tom nodded and took Harry’s hand, guiding him to sit on a cushion Tom conjured on the floor while the pure blood took the chair. Harry sat and kept quiet but overall the gathering was extremely boring. None of the other children spoke to him after Tom’s chastising comment so he was left out of any conversation that may have interested him. Tom kept one hand on him the whole time, keeping him from getting up and wandering around. He found himself fidgeting a lot, playing with the edge of his robes, making small balls of lint float, anything to entertain himself. Tom must’ve noticed his boredom because a book appeared in his lap with no indication of how it got there. He quickly began reading, not looking up until one of the boys asked if they all wanted to go outside and play Quidditch while the girls watched. Tom didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about the idea but somehow they all ended up outside in the snow.

Riddle manor only had a Quidditch pitch because Tom’s great uncle had been a huge fan of the game. Tom’s father had no particular interest in the sport and Tom would go as far as to say he actively dislike it. Because of this the Quidditch pitch had gone unused except for get togethers like the one today. Still, like the rest of the manor, the house elves kept it in pristine condition so when they opened the shed they were greeted by 20 polished broomsticks. The boys went wild, each grabbing a broom and jumping into the air while the girls laid out several blankets that were charmed to stay warm.

Tom chose to sit and talk as well but Harry stared wide eyed at the older boys zooming through the air. Harry tugged lightly on Tom’s sleeve and waited for him to finish talking before whispering, “Can I fly too?”

Tom looked up at the players thoughtfully. It honestly hadn’t occurred to him that Harry might be interested in flying. The boy had spent most of the summer indoors with Tom except for the occasional walks through the gardens. “Not right now,” Tom said eventually, prompting Harry to pout, “You’d need a training broom first. We wouldn’t want you to fall and kill yourself.”

Harry’s face brightened immediately and he grinned widely at Tom before watching the flyers once again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I fmanage to finish this one a bit faster than the last two so yay! Thanks as always for the comments and kudos.
> 
> There is a time skip so this is three years after the last chapter.
> 
> Warning murder and tiny bit of torture but not anything like last time. Hope you all enjoy!

The funeral of Tom Riddle Sr was as solemn as it was unexpected. No one was sure how he died, only that his son found his lifeless body one morning. Some suspected Grindelwald, while others a rival pureblood family. Some even thought his son was the one to do it, quoting his unusual composure at the funeral two days later.

Only Harry and Abraxas knew how hard his father’s death was affecting Tom. Abraxas saw it in his snappishness and short temper while Harry saw it in Tom’s new tendency to stare out windows and his renewed interest in the library. Tom had always been studious but now it seemed as if he were looking for something specific. The books he was reading were quickly getting darker in nature, to the point where Harry could feel the magic in them straining to be released.

Harry stayed with Tom at all times now. The location restriction charm had been removed from his necklace though he still wasn’t allowed outside of the manor without Tom. Harry didn’t mind. It was no different than before and, if anything, Harry was proud that Tom trusted him enough to remove the charm.

Tom already had a suspect as to who killed his father. He had a cousin living in Germany who stood to inherit the entire Riddle fortune if Tom and his father both passed away. Fortunately for him, his cousin was also an idiot and didn’t attempt to kill them both at the same time. Tom wasn’t sure why he wasn’t dead yet but, whatever the reason, it was a mistake on his cousin’s part.

The only reason Tom hadn’t gone straight to Germany and obliterated the blight on his family tree was that he wanted to find a certain spell first. His father had mentioned it once but it was of the darkest magic. Even the Riddles rarely delved into magic the caliber of this one.  
…

Tom’s cousin’s mansion was minuscule in comparison to the main manor. Tom held his hand up to the main gate and waited for the wards to accept him. They would of course. They were designed to accept any family members, not that there would be any besides Tom after tonight. The gates swung open and he made his way to the front doors where a house elf was waiting to greet him. “L-Lord Riddle,” the elf squeaked, “Master is not expecting you.”

“That would be the point of not owling ahead.” Tom sneered as he took in the entryway. It was filled with gaudy decorations and portraits that must have cost a small fortune each. It was easy to tell why his cousin chose to make his move now. “Please inform your master that I am here and expect him for tea in the drawing room.” With that Tom swept off down the hall, leaving behind a flabbergasted elf.

The hall and drawing room were decorated in a similar manner to the entryway. Tom wondered at what possessed his cousin to spend this kind of wealth that was clearly beyond his means. He sat on one of the plush couches in the drawing room, angling himself so he could see the doors clearly. After a moment an elf appeared holding a tray of tea. At his direction it set the tray down, its hands shaking lightly, and left. Tom poured himself a cup and sipped at it slowly, waiting for his cousin to appear.

Eventually he did, half stumbling through the door, his hair still sleep tossed. Edward Riddle was the bastard child of Tom’s cousin once removed and one would be hard pressed to find the relation in their appearance. Where Tom’s hair was dark, Edward’s was fair and Tom’s eyes were a cold blue while Edward’s were a honey brown. Tom was resisted the urge to sneer at his cousin. At least he had the decency to get dressed before coming to meet him but the clothes were haphazardly thrown on. At the sight of Tom his face twisted unpleasantly for an instant before settling on a happy but confused expression. “Cousin!” He exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

Tom smiled and set his tea down. “Do I need an excuse to visit my favorite cousin? Come. Sit with me.”

Edward’s eyes narrowed in suspicion but he did as Tom said. “I wasn’t aware I was held in such high regard.”

“As my only cousin you are favorite by default.” Tom said as he poured a second cup. “Cream or sugar?”

“Neither.” Edward ground out, grabbing the cup and draining it in one drink. “What do you want Tom?”

Tom sat back and smiled slightly. “The house elves told me you weren’t expecting me which I find surprising. Surely you knew I would trace it back to you sooner or later.”

Edward blanched. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he stammered.

“Please Edward. We both know you’re an idiot but even you aren’t that dumb.”

He flushed angrily. “I am not an idiot!”

Tom nodded. “Well not completely. You are at least smart enough to hire someone competent enough to kill my father. Tell me, how did they do it?”

Edward leaned back and crossed his arms. “Why should I tell you anything?”

“Common courtesy. Anyone would want to know how their father died.”

Edward snorted and adopted a haughty look. “Fine. But only because you won’t be leaving this house alive.” He smirked. “I had an elf sneak in and poison his dinner. Something one of my friends in found in Egypt. Once ingested it’s almost impossible to detect unless you’re looking for it.”

Tom nodded along as Edward boasted, the anger in his stomach coiling tighter and tighter as his cousin went on. “I see. Well I commend you on a job well done. Now I have one more order of business while I’m here.”

“Yeah I think you do. Dying.” Edward drew his wand and pointed it at Tom’s chest.

Tom merely raised an eyebrow. “Really? That was such a cliche line.” He shook his head as if scolding a small child. “Plus I don’t think you have a chance of beating me in your current condition. Or any condition for that matter.”

“My current condition?”

Tom pointed to his cousin’s arm which was shaking. “You really should have taken a page from your own book and not drunk something you haven’t prepared yourself .”

Edward’s expression turned to one of horror as his wand fell from his trembling fingers. Tom stood and circled the coffee table where he adjusted his now shaking cousin into a supine position on the floor. “Now if I just left you the poison would kill you slowly. Your muscles becoming paralyzed one by one until you can’t breathe and you slowly asphyxiate.” Edward’s eyes rolled wildly, looking for some form of help or escape. “But the spell I want to perform requires a death by the killing curse so I am forced to be merciful. However, your body does not have to be in perfect shape.” He grabbed Edward’s wand and pointed it towards one of its owner’s legs. “Os contundito.”

  
Edward screamed as the bone shattered, the shards exploding into the surrounding muscle tissue. Tom repeated the process on all four limbs until his relative was a sobbing, broken mess. He grinned at the sight. “Oh I wish I could keep you for a while Edward. It’s been so long since I had a good torture session. But I should move on.”

He pulled out a thin black notebook from his pocket and placed it on the table next to Edward before pulling out a vial of his own blood. Using the blood he drew runes on the cover of the notebook and Edward’s chest and forehead. When he was done he wiped the blood on a handkerchief and stood fully. “Alright. We’re all set.” He pulled his wand from his pocket and raised it. “Avada Kedavra.”

The green light shot straight into the rune on the center of Edward’s chest. Instantly Tom could feel a burning in his chest. He clutched at his sternum as it grew and grew until it felt like he was on fire. He crumbled to the floor, an agonizing scream ripping itself from his throat as pain enveloped him. He couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, could only feel the pain as it spread to every extremity. He tried to cling to something, anything but he was lost in the endless sea on agony.

Then, as quickly as it started, it stopped. He lay panting on the floor for several long minutes before managing to push himself up to a sitting position. Edward looked the same, his face twisted in fear and horror. The notebook on the other hand seemed to pulse with magic. Tentatively Tom reached a hand out to it, brushing his fingers gently across the cover. There was a sudden relief that settled over him like a warm blanket and his magic almost sang at the feeling. He had a sense he had felt this before but couldn’t remember where and the feeling slipped away as the relief faded.

He was breathing heavily again but he felt more stable than he had a moment ago. Slowly he got to his feet and tucked the journal into the inner pocket of his robe where he could feel the magic move in time with his heartbeat. He turned his wand on his cousin again. “Incendio.” He said and watched as flames enveloped the body until all that remained were bones and ash. All that mattered was that the traces of the ritual were gone. “Elf!” He called and immediately the one that brought him tea appeared, still trembling. “Bring me the one who greeted me at the door as well as any others who know of my presence here. Now.”

The elf nodded and disappeared for a moment before reappearing with three others. Tom raised his wand and obliviated each of them in turn. After all there was no use is killing good help. With a sigh he pocketed his wand and headed to the fireplace. Now there would be even more paperwork to deal with due to his cousins death and the transfer of estate and accounts. He grabbed a handful of floo powder and threw it into the fire. “Riddle manor,” he said and he was gone.  
…

Tom cursed inwardly as he stumbled out of the fireplace at Riddle manor. He hadn’t been that ungraceful floo traveling since he was a small child. The ritual had taken more out of him than he expected.

He had flooed into his office so he still had to make his way to his room. He had to walk slowly down the hall but at least he wasn’t shaking. He had almost made it back when a small call of “Master?” made him stop.

He turned slowly to see Harry stepping out of the library, his eyes wide with worry. The younger boy quickly set the books he had been carrying aside and rushed forward. “Are you alright? What happened?” He asked, taking hold of Tom’s arm to help support him.

“I’m fine. I was just taking care of some business.” Tom’s voice was cold but he didn’t pull away.

“What sort of business has you ending up like this?” Harry asked as he helped Tom to his room.

“Family business.”

Harry guided Tom to sit on the bed and called for an elf to bring some pajamas. “So you figured out who did it then?” He asked softly as Tom changed.

Tom nodded once. “They’ve been dealt with.”

Harry stared at him for a moment. He knew Tom’s ‘dealt with’ meant the person was dead now or would be soon. Though that still didn’t explain his master’s current condition. “Was there a fight? Is that why your so tired?”

Tom shook his head. “It’s none of your concern.”

Harry pursed his lips in annoyance. He wanted to argue that it was his job to be concerned about Tom but he knew if he pressed the issue he’s be kicked out of the room. Instead he turned and began gathering up Tom’s discarded robes. “Wait,” Tom ordered as Harry reached for the outer robe Tom had been wearing.

Tom grabbed it instead and pulled a thin black notebook out of the pocket. “What’s that?” Harry asked.

Tom was a bit curious to see how Harry would react to being around the horcrux so he held it out. “Try touching it.”

Harry could feel the magic emanating off of the book but he reached out anyway. His fingers traced the edges lightly. It felt warm but familiar and Harry told Tom so. Tom smirked slightly and took the book back, leaving Harry feeling slightly empty. “So what is it?” Harry asked again.

“Something I got from my dear cousin. You are not to tell anyone of its existence. Understood?”

Harry nodded seriously. “Does it do anything?”

Tom put the book in the drawer by his bed. He’d have to find a better place for it but it would have to do until tomorrow. “Not right now. Perhaps someday.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry as always for being so late posting this. I write when I'm bored at work and I quit my old job cause it sucked. But I have started a new one and so here is chapter 9! Thank you everyone who has left kudos and comments. It makes my life a lot better.

Harry sat on the chair, swinging his legs back and forth bored out of his mind. Tom’s graduation ceremony had gone on forever but Harry could forgive that since Tom had promised to show him around the school. However, after the ceremony had finished, all of the other students seemed to have decided that this was the best time to speak to Tom which left Harry all alone. He sat despondent at the side of the stands making a deep furrow in the grass with one foot.

“Hello Harry.” Harry turned and smiled as Abraxas sat down next to him. After Tom, Abraxas was the person Harry saw the most and they had formed an unlikely friendship. “How are you? Enjoying your first time at Hogwarts?”

Harry scowled and turned back to Tom who was still talking to his classmates. “Master said he would show me around the school after the ceremony but he seems to have forgotten.” He crossed his arms in a pout before remembering his etiquette lessons and uncrossing them again.

“It is important to establish connections as early as possible. For many of them this is the last time they will be in contact with someone as influential as your master. It is necessary to appease the masses every now and then.”

Harry sighed and slumped back in his chair. “I know but I was really excited to come and now I’m worried we won’t have enough time.”

“Well it looks like you won’t have to wait any longer.” Abraxas pointed to Tom who had bade goodbye to the other students and was making his way down towards the pair. “Master!” Harry exclaimed, practically leaping from his seat towards the older boy. Abraxas noted how he moved with the same grace as a pureblood but with none of the haughtiness. He wondered briefly if that was the result of being owned by Tom.

Abraxas followed at a much more leisurely pace. “Finally managed to extract yourself from the menials?”

Tom looked up from where he was detaching Harry’s grip from him robes. “Yes, finally. I promised Harry a tour of the castle. Would you like to join us?”

Abraxas inclined his head. “I would be glad to. I would prefer not being swarmed next.”

Harry grinned and grabbed Tom’s hand, tugging him towards the castle. “Come on. I want to see the library and your common room and the Great Hall. Does the ceiling really look like the sky? Is it whatever sky is outside or can they change it? Do the candles really float? How did they get wingardium leviosa to be permanent? Don’t they drip wax everywhere?”

“Harry be patient. We’ll be there in a minute.”

Harry became quiet but was practically vibrating with excitement. He knew Tom didn’t want him to go to Hogwarts next year so this was his only chance to see the castle. The graduation ceremony had been conducted entirely outside but a few other families had made their way up to the castle proper while Harry was waiting for Tom. Harry glanced enviously at the students still in their Hogwarts robes. He wondered which house he would have been sorted into but had long since resigned himself to not knowing.

The Great Hall quickly swept all thoughts of jealousy from his mind. It was even more beautiful than the books had described. It seemed as if the sun was shining down on them and Harry wondered what it would be like to fly in here. Since it was bright enough, none of the candles were lit but they were still floating at regular intervals across the room. The tables were huge and Harry could easily imagine them filled with students. Up at the teachers table was the headmaster’s chair, a large golden seat that seemed too big for any one person. Standing behind it was Headmaster Dippet, who Harry recognized from several parties the Malfoys had hosted, and a man with long auburn hair and a short beard. Tom’s hand tightened on Harry’s shoulder and he looked up to see that Tom was almost glaring at the pair. Harry knew that Tom thought well enough of the headmaster and there was only one person who made Tom tense up like that and that was the transfiguration professor, Albus Dumbledore. Harry had heard a lot about the man from Tom, mostly how the professor treated Tom as if he were evil and kept a constant eye on the Slytherin. Anyone who was mean to Tom was immediately on Harry’s bad list so he glared at the auburn haired man, though more openly than Tom. “Let’s go,” Tom said directing Harry out into the hall before the two men noticed them.

“Ah Mr. Riddle, Mr. Malfoy!”

Tom stopped and slowly turned back. The headmaster had apparently caught sight of Tom and was waving the trio over. “Stay behind me,” Tom ordered as they made their way across the hall.

Professor Dippet smiled good naturedly at them as they got closer. “Well Mr. Riddle. I have to say I’m going to miss having you here. I’m sorry again to have turned down your application. I think you will do great things in the ministry though.”

Tom inclined his head, all traces of tenseness from earlier gone. “Thank you Professor. I understand your reasoning. I actually plan to go travelling for a while to gain some experience before settling down.”

“Oh really? Where?”

“Albania and Egypt definitely. Perhaps China. It would be interesting to see how eastern magic differs from our own.”

“Well when you return be sure to come back and visit. Perhaps the defense position will be open again.”

Tom smiled. “Of course.”

“And who is this with you?” Dumbledore interjected pointing to Harry who was half hiding behind Tom.

Harry quickly schooled his features before stepping out slightly for Tom to introduce him. “This is Harry,” Tom said as Harry gave a short bow, “My family took him in a few years ago after his muggle family abandoned him. He has been training to be my aide when he’s older.”

Harry smiled slightly at the headmaster and was careful not to meet Dumbledore’s eyes. Tom had warned him many times about the professor’s skill in legilimency. “It is a pleasure to meet you,” he said.

“You as well Mr. Riddle.” The headmaster said, “Will you be joining us at Hogwarts soon?”

Tom shook his head, answering the question on Harry’s behalf. He gestured for Harry to move behind him again. “Unfortunately no. I plan to take Harry with me when I leave. In fact, I was just showing him around the castle.”

“Well we wouldn’t want to deprive the young man of Hogwarts’ wonders. Good luck Mr. Riddle.” Professor Dippet patted Tom on the shoulder with a smile.

Tom bowed slightly and turned to make his way out of the hall, Harry close behind him. As they got near the door, pin pricks chilled the back of Harry’s neck and he turned to see Dumbledore’s blue eyes staring at him. He quickly turned away and hurried out of the hall. “I don’t like him.” Harry said. “Can we go see your common room now?” Harry knew the Slytherin common room was in the dungeons, far away from Dumbledore.

Tom nodded and they made their way to the dungeons whileTom pointed out various classrooms and areas as they walked through the halls. Again Harry felt envy stir within him at the thought of all the students who got to spend their time in the castle. However, travelling the world with Tom sounded much better. The Slytherin common room was as interesting as the great hall. One of the walls was replaced with glass that allowed a beautiful view of the inside of the great lake. The lake was fairly clear and in the distance Harry could see the giant squid. He was so busy staring at it that he didn’t see the mermaid sneaking up on him until it was right in front of his face. He jumped back with a shriek of terror, causing the mermaid to swim off. Behind him he heard laughter and he turned to see both Tom and Abraxas chuckling at him. “Come on,” Tom said, “Let’s go see the library and then I’ll show you a secret.”

Harry’s pout from being laughed at quickly disappeared and he ran after the two older boys. Harry almost didn’t care about the secrets Tom had once he saw the library. Rows upon rows of shelves filled the room on every topic Harry could think of. He had thought the Riddle library was large but even that didn’t compare to this. Tom stopped him from going around and picking books since they couldn’t take any and they didn’t have time to stop and read. As they left Harry looked longingly back, wondering if there was some reason he could come back in the future and even if it was just to look through all the shelves.

Once they finished with the library, Abraxas excused himself saying he needed to find his parents. Harry suspected Tom had told him to leave but he was fine with that. Whatever Tom was going to show him would be a secret between just the two of them. Tom led him to the second floor girls bathroom which had an out of order sign hung across the door. When Tom started to go in Harry grabbed his hand. “But that’s the girls bathroom,” Harry protested.

“Harry do you trust me?”

“Of course.”

“Then follow me.”

Harry ducked uneasily under the sign. Inside the bathroom was empty except for a ghost that was hovering over one of the stalls. It was a girl that seemed to be only a little younger than Tom with round glasses and pigtails. She took one look at the pair, screamed, and dove into one of the toilets. Tom ignored her and walked to the sink. He said something in a language Harry didn’t recognize and suddenly the sinks parted, revealing a dark tunnel. Tom said something else and stairs appeared leading down into the black. Harry grabbed the sleeve of Tom’s robe, equally curious and scared. “What’s down there?” he asked.

“You’ll see.”

Tom led him down the stairs. Harry summoned a small ball of light to keep himself from tripping, but he still held tightly onto Tom’s sleeve. The tunnel entrance closed once they were a few steps in, leaving them in complete darkness except for Harry’s light. He and Tom walked down for what seemed like forever until the tunnel opened into a wide chamber. On the other side was a door decorated with snakes. Tom spoke the weird language again and the snakes started moving, unlocking the door. Harry could hear rushing water from the other side but before he could go through Tom grabbed him arm. “Close your eyes,” Tom ordered, making the command magical just to be on the safe side, “Do not open them until I say it’s alright.”

Harry was confused but he nodded and did as Tom said. The water sound got louder as the walked further into the room and it sounded like they were walking in shallow puddles. Tom stopped eventually and Harry heard the sounds of something large shifting around. The hairs raised on the back of his neck like they had with Dumbledore and he fought to keep his eyes shut. Tom said something in the strange language before saying, “Alright. You can open your eyes. Don’t be scared. She won’t hurt you.”

Harry opened his eyes slowly and gasped at the sight in front of him. A giant snake, at least 30 feet long was curled up in front of the pair. She had glimmering green scales, large yellow eyes, and a mouth so big she could probably eat him whole without thinking twice. Every instinct was telling him to run but Tom must’ve brought him down here for a reason. Hopefully that reason wasn’t because the snake was getting hungry. “Harry,” Tom said, drawing his attention away from the giant reptile, “This is Adasa. She was Salazar Slytherin’s basilisk and now belongs to me. I brought you here to introduce you and make sure she can recognize you in case we have need of her in the future.”

Harry glanced back at the basilisk which hadn’t moved. “She’s not going to eat me right?”

“I told you already, she won’t hurt you.” Tom held out a hand and the basilisk slowly approached, nudging his palm lightly with her snout. “Hold out your hand so she can taste you.”

Harry shot Tom a weird look but did so anyway. The basilisk’s tongue was huge and Harry laughed as it flicked lightly against his palm. “That tickles.”

Tom spoke in the unrecognizable language again and the snake turned and slithered down a large black tunnel it must have come from. “How did you know that she wouldn’t attack me?” Harry asked as Tom led him out of the chamber.

“I spoke to her. It’s called parseltongue. Salazar Slytherin was able to speak it and, since I am his descendant, I am as well.”

Harry’s eyes widened incredulously. “You can talk to snakes? Why haven’t you told me?!” Tom’s eyes narrowed sharply at the outburst and Harry ducked his head. “Sorry. But Master, I thought you trusted me?”

“There are things I don’t need to share with you. Parseltongues are viewed as evil by the public. If the news got out that I am one it would go against everything I have been working towards. I am giving you the information now. Are you not grateful?”

Harry shook his head vehemently. “Of course I am! I swear I won’t tell anyone!”

Tom smiled slightly at the eager look on Harry’s face but he sobered quickly. “There will be many things you will see while we are travelling that you will be unable to tell anyone of. I have no wish to order your silence every time. Consider this a test in your abilities before we leave.”

“I won’t fail you,” Harry said stoically.

They made their way up and out of the chamber and were on their way back to the grounds where Abraxas was waiting when a voice stopped them. “Well if it isn’t Mr. Riddle,” someone sneered from behind them.

Tom turned, hand already gripping the wand in his sleeve. “Perkins. I’d say it was a pleasure but that would be a lie even I can’t stomach.”

The boy gave a sneer that would give Abraxas a run for his money. “Still looking down on us huh Riddle? Just because of your blood status.”

“I look down on you because you are beneath me in both power and intellect. Your blood has nothing to do with it.”

This only seemed to incense the boy further. “You calling me stupid?”

Tom raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised you were able to understand. Perhaps you are slightly more intelligent than I gave you credit for.”

The boys face was turning beet red and he opened his mouth, wand raised, to cast something at the pureblood, presumably a curse. The words hadn’t even left his lips before Perkins was thrown back into the wall in a flash of red light. He fell to the floor stunned and his wand rolled a few feet away from his limp hand. Tom blinked twice. He hadn’t cast that spell though his wand had been ready. He glanced down at Harry to find the ten year old glaring at Perkins, one hand raised. “Harry…”

Harry looked up at him, face defiant. “He was going to hurt you.” He stated as if that explained everything.

Tom nodded and patted him on the shoulder approvingly. “Let’s go,” he said and made to turn back the way they were heading. Neither of them noticed the burst of yellow until it struck Harry’s face.

The young boy fell screaming in pain and Tom whirled around in rage towards where the blast originated. Perkins lay smiling on the ground, wand in hand. “Brat.” Perkins spit out.

Tom’s eyes glowed faintly with rage as he lifted his wand to curse him with something painful and permanent.

“Mr. Riddle what is going on here?”

Tom immediately lowered his wand and reined in his emotions though his eyes still burned. “Professor Slughorn. Perkins tried to attack my person and when my ward defended me he turned his wand on him instead.” 

Tom knelt next to Harry who was curled on his side, hiding his face. The curse seemed to have been a minor blasting charm of which Harry’s glasses had absorbed most of the shock. He still had minor burns but the most significant damage came from the shards of glass that used to be lenses which were currently embedded in Harry’s face. “Master!” he cried, reaching out blindly for Tom.

“I’m here. Don’t worry.” Tom picked up the child, careful not to jostle him any more than necessary and turned back to Perkins. “This is far from over Mr. Perkins. You will regret this.” Without further word he swept down the hallway towards the hospital wing Harry carefully held in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone have any suggestions for what should happen to Perkins?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! So I actually managed to get this one updated within a month! Yay!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who gave suggestions for what should happen to Perkins. I hope you are satisfied with the outcome.
> 
> Warning: Lots of torture

It could have been worse. At least that’s what Tom kept telling himself despite the rage seething inside of him.The burns and cuts on Harry’s face were being healed with a salve easily enough. The more pressing issue was his eyes. Madam Matilda, and later the nurse at St. Mungos, had removed all of the shards but neither were sure how Harry’s eyes would heal. They prescribed various potions for him to take and sent him home with instructions to keep his eyes bandaged at all times.

This left Tom with an effectively blind ten year old to take care of until the healer came again in a week.

Back at the manor he sent Harry to his room for safekeeping while he researched spells that could help. There was one that worked like a permanent homenum revelio, allowing the caster to constantly sense the people around him which would keep Harry from running into somebody. He decided at the very least that Harry could learn to duel without his sight by sensing the magic around him, a skill that may come in handy in the future. He sent letters to each of Harry’s tutors explaining the situation and that classes would continue as normal.

When Tom returned Harry was curled into a ball on his bed with Pipsky reading a book to him. Harry looked up at the sound of the door opening. “Master?” he asked, reaching out blindly towards the noise.

Tom gently took the outstretched hand and sat down on the edge of the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“My eyes hurt a bit and I’m hungry.”

Tom looked at Pipsky who disappeared with a crack to fetch dinner. She quickly returned with a platter carrying two meals. Tom cut up Harry’s meal, touching his jaw to signal when that he had a bite ready. “What’ll happen if I can’t see anymore?” Harry asked between bites.

“You’ll be fine.” Tom said, giving him another bite of chicken.

“Yeah...but what if?”

Tom sighed and set aside the fork. “Just trust the healers. If anything permanent happens then we’ll deal with it. In the meantime I want you to work on learning how to function without your eyes.”

Harry cocked his head curiously. “How?”

“I’ve been researching spells this afternoon to help. Repeat after me. Creatura revelio perpetuus.”

Harry repeated the words a few times, enunciating each syllable carefully to make sure that he had them down before performing the spell. As soon as he did a gold light appeared where Tom was sitting. Harry tried to touch it but his hand hit Tom’s chest instead. “What is that?”

“It’s a spell that permanently lets you sense any people around you. I have adapted it to include all creatures so you’ll know when the house elves are around. This should keep you from running into anyone. The other thing I want you to work on is sensing magic. Your dueling instructor will help you with that one. It will help you see when spells are being casted as well as how people are feeling based on what their magic is doing. There are ways to mask emotions but since most people can’t sense magic unless it is very powerful it is not a generally employed skill.”

Harry grinned. “Cool! But if most people aren’t able to do it then how do you know that I will be able to?”

“You have a larger magical core than most children your age which means that you have potential. In addition your core hasn’t fully developed yet so you are more sensitive to magic around you. Beginning training now will help you keep the skill as you grow older.”

“Are you able to do it?”

Tom raised an eyebrow before remembering that Harry couldn’t see it. “Yes. It is helpful when dealing with people I don’t know well.”

“What’s it like?”

Tom considered how to explain it. “It’s like a ripple through the air. With spells it depends on what is being casted. Darker spells tend to feel sharper, as if charged with electricity, while light spells are smoother, like water. The stronger the spell the stronger the feeling. Each spell has its own feeling but that’s a general scale to follow. As for emotions, its a similar feeling except instead of sharp and smooth, you feel a watered down version of whatever they are feeling. The stronger the wizard, the more you experience the emotion as if it was your own.”

“How do you block it?” Harry asked.

“It’s a different version of occlumency. Similar to mental shields but around your magic core rather than your mind. Your tutors will help you with it.”

“So I still have class tomorrow?”

Tom nearly laughed at the look on Harry’s face. “Yes.”

Harry sighed and flopped backwards so he was lying down. “Well at least you’re home now.”

Tom ran a hand through Harry’s hair. “At least there’s that.”

...

“Alright Harry. The sudden light may hurt a bit so keep your eyes closed while I remove the bandages. We’ll check your right eye first and then your left,” the healer said as she began to unclip the bandages.

Harry nodded and waited patiently as the bandages were removed. The room was still relatively dark so he could only see a faint glow through his eyelids. Something was placed over his left eye to keep it from opening while the healer instructed him to open his right. He did so slowly, the light causing him to squint while his eye adjusted from the constant darkness. The world was blurry but no more so than usual without his glasses. The healer shined a bright light in his face, causing him to flich. “Everything looks good. How does it look Mr. Riddle?”

“Fine. No worse than usual.”

“Try it with your glasses.”

She slipped the new frames Tom had ordered onto his face and he blinked at the sudden clarity. Tom was sitting in an armchair by the fire, a serious look on his face as he watched the examination. Harry smiled at the sight. “All good,” he said, not looking away from Tom.

“Good.” The healer pulled off the glasses and had him close his eyes while she moved the device keeping his eye closed to the right eye. “Open again.”

Harry did so but the room remained dark. He blinked a few times, wondering if the healer was blocking his vision but the world remained pitch black. He heard footsteps approach rapidly and hands suddenly gripped his face, holding him still. “Master?” Harry asked tentatively as waves of rage filled power washed over him. He reached out and lightly touched the familiar robes of the person in front of him. “Master what’s going on? I can’t see.”

Tom gripped Harry’s face tighter, trying to restrain himself. Next to him the healer stood shocked. Streaking across Harry’s left eye was a thin white scar that disappeared briefly when it crossed his pupil which has turned the same white color. Harry’s eye moved around wildly but Tom knew it was pointless. There was no way to fix this. Harry’s hand gripped tighter to the edge of Tom’s robe, searching for reassurance. More gently than he would have with any other person, Tom removed the patch keeping Harry’s right eye closed. Harry’s eyes immediately locked onto Tom and he wrapped his arms around the older boy, trembling. “Is that all Miss Langston?” Tom asked.

The healer did a few more diagnostic spells with shaky hands, awkwardly working around the two boys who refused to let go of each other. When they all came back negative she quickly excused herself. The room was silent for a long time after the door shut. “Harry,” Tom eventually said but the only response was the raven’s arms tightening around him.

Tom sighed and stood, taking Harry with him over to the bed. He sat back against the pillows and summoned a book, using magic to hold it since his arms were occupied. The book was about dark spells which Tom thought was appropriate given what he was going to do to Perkins as soon as Harry calmed down.

Eventually Harry shifted and sat up, rubbing his eyes which were red from crying. “I’m sorry,” he said softly as he moved so he was kneeling next to Tom rather than on top of him.

Tom looked over at Harry’s heartbroken look and closed the book with a sigh. “Harry-”

“If you want to get rid of me I understand.”

The words came out in a rush and Harry held his breath waiting for a response. He knew Tom wouldn’t have any use of someone who was half blind. Even with the spells Tom had taught him it would be too much of a liability. He just hoped that Tom would give him to another wizarding family. Maybe he could go to Hogwarts. He supposed that would be some sort of consolation prize but it was still nothing compared to the gaping hole Tom’s absence would leave.

Tom merely stared at Harry. As Harry had gotten older his pleas for Tom to not get rid of him had changed into these sort of statements. At first Tom thought it was because Harry was trying to get out of the contract they had but he quickly realized Harry was trying to not make him feel guilty if he wished to give him away. It had been a while since something had happened to prompt the statement and Tom had thought that Harry had gotten over this particular insecurity. “What’s rule number one?”

Harry looked up at him, eyes still watering. “I belong to you.”

“Again.”

“I belong to you.”

“Again.”

He made Harry repeat the rule until some the tension seemed to relax from the raven’s shoulders. “I’m not going to get rid of you Harry.” Tom assured him.

“But I can’t go with you like this!” Harry gestured helplessly to his eye. “I’d only drag you down.”

“I think that is for me to decide not you.” Tom reached out and ran a hand through Harry’s hair. “Though we’ll have to postpone our trip until you get used to functioning without your eye.”

Harry reached up and gripped the hand in his hair tightly. “But I-”

“Harry that’s enough. I have made my decision and that’s final.”

Harry’s mouth closed and he nodded. There was still a guilty feeling hanging about him but Tom could see the relief in his eyes. Tom picked the book up again and resumed from where he left off, Harry leaning up against his side. “What are you reading?” Harry asked.

Tom showed him the cover. “I’m planning what to do to Perkins.”

Harry pressed himself closer and peered at the page. “What about that one?” He pointed to a spell that melted the victim’s flesh.

Tom considered it. “That does seem appropriate.”

…

If pressed to admit it, Perkins would say he was scared. He had been since graduation, checking over his shoulder every few minutes, waiting for Riddle to make an appearance. The cold blue eyes burning in anger filled his dreams and he hadn’t been able to get a good night’s sleep in weeks. He would have suspected Riddle of casting a spell on him except no one had seen him or the other little boy since the incident at Hogwarts. Regardless he felt like something was watching him constantly. It didn’t matter if he was home alone or in a crowded alley, it felt like eyes were always on him. It was driving him crazy.

When Riddle, though he supposed it was now Lord Riddle, finally made an appearance it was almost a relief. Almost.

It was rather worrying when the appearance was made in the middle of the night to Perkins waking up tied to a chair. His shoulders burned from the awkward angle they were tied behind him. He blinked blearily, trying to get the dark figure in front of him in focus. “Well Mr. Perkins, I told you this wasn’t over.”

Perkins pulled at his bonds but they left little room for movement. As he struggled the shadowed form of Tom Riddle stood and came closer until he towered over the bound boy. “Are you aware of exactly how far the Riddle family’s power extends?”

“It’s hard to forget when you keep lording it over us,” Perkins sneered.

“See I don’t think you quite understand. By calling just a few family friends I could have your father fired from his job at the ministry. How do you think that would affect your family? Would you like to watch as they struggle to keep your house? How about your sister? She’s what...8 now? What about when she needs to go to Hogwarts and your family can barely afford second hand books?”

Perkins glared at him. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I should. They deserve it for raising as idiotic a son as you. But they are not the source of my ire. You are.” Tom pulled his wand from his sleeve and began twirling it in his fingers.

“You’re just a stuck up rich boy with an oversized ego.” Perkins snarled. “Your threats don’t scare me. You and that brat should just shove your opinions up your-”

“I’m quite tired of your talking.” Riddle interrupted. He waved his wand and Perkins mouth was wrenched open to its widest extent, jaw cracking as the skin was stretched so tight that it tore apart and bled. He pulled a piece of cloth out of his pocket and used it to pull Perkins tongue out so far he worried it might rip off. Riddle whispered something and there was a sharp pain quickly followed by blood. So much blood. It filled the gap where his tongue had lain only moments before and dripped out of his still open mouth. He coughed, trying to keep from inhaling the metallic liquid while Riddle gave a disgusted look at the chunk of muscle in his hand. He threw it to the side and used a quick spell to incinerate the cloth. “That’s disgusting, but now you’ll be quieter.” He turned back to Perkins who was struggling to breathe as his lungs filled with blood. “Oh don’t go dying on me now. That would take all the fun out out it.”

He pointed his wand once more at Perkins’ mouth and suddenly there was a searing pain along the back of his throat. He screamed hoarsely as the pain lasted long after Riddle’s wand was lowered. What did you do?! Perkins wanted to shout but the very thought of trying to speak made his throat hurt more. “There, now no one else will have to listen to your idiocy either.”

Perkins merely glared back through wet eyes. How could Riddle do this? Didn’t he know that Perkins would find a way to tell someone? It didn’t seem like Riddle wanted to kill him, otherwise he would have done it already. Right? Riddle smirked as if hearing his thoughts. “Don’t worry. I won’t kill you. You don’t deserve to die yet.”

Perkins eyes widened fearfully as Riddle began circling him. “Now which should we take care of first? Your hands? Your legs? I decided to save your face for last. That way you can enjoy watching every moment.” He ran a hand through Perkins hair, nails scraping roughly across his scalp. “I know, we’ll take care of this first.” He ripped his hand away, taking several locks with it. 

Perkins struggle to get away as Riddle pressed his wand against his forehead, right below the hairline. The tip drew across his brow, causing a sheet of blood to pour over his eyes as the skin was cut down to the bone. Through the red Perkins could see Riddle’s feral grin. “I’ll give you a second to prepare,” Riddle said as he grabbed Perkins’ hair again, this time from the front.

Perkins exhaled and relaxed minutely but before he could tense again Riddle pulled. There was a grotesque ripping sound that filled the room but Perkins didn’t hear it over the pain that exploded across his scalp. He couldn’t even scream the agony was so all encompassing. He wished that Riddle had just killed him. He would have chosen death over this any day.

Several long minutes passed before he could focus on anything other than the pain. Blood dripped down is face and neck, wet and sticky. Riddle was crouched at eye level in front of him, blue eyes boring into his. “Well Perkins, was a few thoughtless comments worth it? Actually I shouldn’t ask that. I don’t particularly care that you insulted me, though doing it to my face was stupid beyond belief. But it wasn’t a situation that mattered and if I tortured everyone who insulted me then I would only build a country of enemies. However, you tried to attack me and furthermore you have injured what is mine.” He gripped Perkins face roughly, forcing the boy to meet his eyes. “And I couldn’t let that go.”

He pulled away again, casting a spell to stop the bleeding and clear up the blood around Perkins’ eyes so he could see clearly again. “So I’m thinking we’ll take care of your hands first. What do you think?”

A low whine escaped Perkins’ throat, burning the wounds from earlier.

“You’d prefer your feet first? Alright.” Riddle summoned a serrated saw and a length of piano wire. “So I figured I might as well have some fun while I’m here. We’re going to see which of these are more effective at removing your legs.” He charmed the wire to wrap around one leg and the saw to hover against the other. “And begin.”

The wire tightened as the saw began moving side to side and the feeling was almost worse than the scalping since he could feel every movement as the instruments cut through his legs. Riddle conjured a chair and pulled a book from his robes. He took a seat and proceeded to ignore Perkins until his right leg fell to the ground with a thud. Riddle looked up from the pages. “Well I suppose the piano wire won. I’ll wait until your other leg is done. Wouldn’t want you to miss out on any part of the experience.”

He turned back to the book, leaving Perkins to wait for the second sickening thud of his leg falling off. Eventually it did happen and Riddle stood, vanishing the chair and book. “As interesting as that was it took entirely too long, but I hope you enjoyed it.”

Perkins closed his eyes, mentally begging Riddle to stop, to just kill him now. “I think we’ll use spells for your hands,” RIddle continued as he untied Perkins arms and moved them in front of his body. The ache of his shoulders was nothing compared to the pain in the rest of his body. He didn’t have the energy to even try and fight as Riddle manhandled him. Riddle bound his arms together at the wrists and pointed his wand at them. “Contundo.”

It felt as if large rocks had slammed down on his hands. The bones made a sharp cracking sound as they were pounded into dust. Perkin’s vision began to grey out from the assault and he prayed for the relief that unconsciousness would bring him. Riddle wouldn’t allow that though and cast a spell to force him to stay awake. “Alright Perkins. It seems we’re almost done. You certainly won’t be able to use your hands again.” He prodded the broken, mangled forms with his wand. Where the wrists overlapped, the pressure had caused the skin to seemingly fuse together. “Now all that’s left is your face.”

Riddle grabbed his chin, wrenching his face upwards. “I expect that you’ll pass out before I’m done with this part so I think I’ll explain a few things while you’re still mostly awake.” Perkins only stared back, exhausted. “First, as I said before, I’m not going to kill you. You don’t deserve such a respite. You are going to go through the rest of your life unable to do anything for yourself. Someone will have to carry you everywhere, someone will have to feed you, you won’t even be able to use the bathroom without someone to help you. You will spend most of your life shut up in your home because when you go out people will scream in terror at your appearance. And when you are old and everyone who might have cared about you has died or abandoned you, that is when my revenge will be complete.”

Riddle’s face was so close that Perkins could feel his breath on his cheeks and blue eyes seemed to take up his entire field of vision. “I can’t have this traced back to me of course so I’ll be altering your memories a bit. I won’t obliviate you completely; I wouldn’t want you to forget any of our time together. I’m just going to make you forget that I’m the one who did it.”

Riddle placed the tip of his wand against Perkins’ left eye, digging the point in harshly. “Harry’s the one who picked out this spell you know. I thought it would only be appropriate to use it to take away your sight since you deprived him of his.” He let go of Perkins’ chin, using only the wand to push his head back, causing the tip to dig in deeper. “Conflandem carnem.”

Searing pain exploded outward from his eye and Perkins screamed with vocal chords that shouldn’t have worked. It was like when Riddle had cauterized the wounds in his mouth but a thousand times worse. It felt like lava had been poured into his eye socket and was overflowing down his face. His remaining vision blacked out and after a few excruciating seconds that lasted an eternity, he fell into unconsciousness. But even then the pain followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again thank you to everyone for your wonderful suggestions. I unfortunately wasn't able to include all of them but there will probably be more torture scenes in the future. This fic wasn't originally supposed to be this gory. It just kind of happened and then kept happening lol.


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